The Last Exsphere
by kakistocrat
Summary: Six years after the defeat of Mithos, all is well for Lloyd and his friends. However, just because all the exspheres were destroyed doesn't mean exsphere research stopped, and one last small exsphere Lloyd missed will soon become a major problem.
1. Chapter 1

It was six years, almost to the day, since Mithos had been defeated, the great tree regrown, and the world reunited

It was six years, almost to the day, since Mithos had been defeated, the great tree regrown, and the world reunited. It was also six years since all of 'The Eight Saviors' had been in the same place at the same time.

That wasn't, of course, to say, they hadn't seen each other since then. Whenever two of the group were in the same area, they would go to any length to visit, but still, with everyone as busy as they were, opportunities were a bit thin.

Lloyd and Sheena had gone off on a quest to destroy all of the exspheres, which was only made more complicated by the new power that Lloyd Irving held, and the fact that Sheena was appointed chief of Mizuho. With all of his new power, everyone expected Lloyd to usurp the king, or set up a new government over both worlds. When he took no political actions at all, and virtually disappeared off the face of the globe to search for exspheres, it only caused confusion in the government.

Sheena, on the other hand, was forced to accept political responsibility; to which she was also unaccustomed. The people of Mizuho still wished to move to Sylvarant, and Sheena found she could not possibly manage it all and still help Lloyd on his quest. Fortunately, both Orochi and the Vice-Chief were more than willing to help, so she only had to return once every couple of weeks.

Genis had gone decided to go to Sybak, where he could both promote half-elf acceptance and continue his studies at a more advanced level. After a year or two, half-elves were not only accepted, but encouraged to come to the research academy.

Raine too, had been an advocate against discrimination, but she was more active, traveling the country and getting her hands dirty in local politics. She had never failed in winning a city over to her view. Though she had been chased out of several towns, perseverance always won, after she had swung around Lloyd's name enough.

Colette had done the strangest thing of any of them. She had taken her magical chakra, her enchanted armor, and her beautiful angel wings, and hid them all away, to return to life as a normal girl. She lived in Iselia with her real father and her grandmother.

Zelos had been, well, Zelos. He returned to Meltokio to abolish the position of Chosen. He succeeded in just one year. No one in the party knew what he had been doing for the last five, but they had a reasonable guess.

Both Presea and Regal had gone to Altamira. Regal had resumed his position as head of the Lezareno Company. He and Presea had done all they could to help rebuild all of the destroyed cities and damaged property. They also tried to help the other members of their group with their individual tasks. He and Presea were the ones who would help when Lloyd needed a major source of Exspheres demolished, like say, the Toize Valley Mine, or the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge.

But finally, after years of toil, they had all accomplished what they set out to do. Lloyd had rid the world of Exspheres, and in celebration, they were all meeting for a grand reunion at Altessa's house, near the Great Tree.

They were now on a giant plain, with mountains on one side, an inland sea on the other, Ozette to the north, and the Great Kharlan Tree to the south. Of course, it was hardly larger than a normal tree now, but Lloyd had seen what it would become.

As wind swept across the long grass of the plain, it rippled almost like water. It was a very soothing effect. The breeze from the north-east was chilly, which was comforting, because it was hotter than it should be so late in the season.

Lloyd lay idly on a rocky hill jutting from the grass. Though it was just a few feet off the grounds, it was the highest point nearby, excluding the mountains. He slowly picked apart a long, dry, yellow strand of grass and chatted with Genis, who was lying next to him. Of everyone from there group but Sheena, Genis was the one Lloyd had seen the most. The bonds they formed in their childhood friendship were too strong to be dropped at a moment's notice.

Zelos had managed to squeeze himself a seat on a log between Sheena and Raine. They both protested originally, but now just warily eyed his arms, ready to slap one away if it tried to move around their shoulder. Colette was using one of her flying discs to play with Noishe. Neither Presea nor Regal had arrived yet, but they had sent word that they would be a little late.

As he chatted with Genis, Lloyd absentmindedly rubbed the back of his hand, where his exsphere used to be. He had destroyed it in on final funeral pyre, along with those of everyone else in the party. It had been in his mother's tribute that she was the last exsphere ever. Ever since he had removed it, he had been weaker. Of course, his angelic blood still made him considerably stronger than any other human, but he found his physical abilities halved, at least.

Genis too, was struggling without his exsphere. Even with all the studying he had done in Sybak, he was still slightly weaker than he was before the final battle with Mithos. Of course, the biggest threat to either Sylvarant or Tethe'alla was an infestation of lady-bugs, and nothing more.

As Lloyd lay contemplating his physical abilities, Colette noticed something. With a happy shout, she startled Lloyd out of his reverie.

He sat up quickly. "What's wrong, Colette?" he asked. Everyone turned to look, and even Zelos managed to distract himself from his 'hunnies'.

"Look everyone!" she exclaimed, "Presea!"

There was indeed a pink Rheaird scraping along the horizon, and as it approached, it became clear that the girl with pink pigtails on top was Presea. Everyone got up to go greet her, but to their surprise, as she was coming in for a landing, she pulled out her wing pack and stashed the Rheaird, while still flying about ten feet off the ground. She landed and rolled through the grass.

"Presea!" yelled Genis. Everyone who wasn't already up leapt to their feet and sprinted off to help her. Genis was the first to reach her, but she was already up and brushing dirt off of her dress.

"Hey everyone!" greeted Presea as cheerily as if she had just come strolling up.

"Are you alright?" blurted Genis.

Presea looked around in confusion. After a moment, understanding dawned on her. "Oh…you all thought I fell. Well, I didn't, I just get off my Rheaird like that now. For fun," she added with a giggle.

As usual, Lloyd was confused. This time, however, he was not alone. "Since when do you do anything for fun? Or giggle, for that matter? And where's Regal?" asked Sheena.

Presea sighed, and looked slightly more serious. "You couldn't expect me to remain an empty soulless robot my entire life, could you? And Regal is still busy; he said he'll be able to come tomorrow."

Lloyd looked at Presea calculatingly and realized that she was the only member of the party he hadn't seen since they had all gone their separate ways. Apparently, no one else had either, as they all seemed just as surprised as he was.

"Enough with the formalities!" she exclaimed. "How've you all been?!" And with that she gave Lloyd a tight hug. Lloyd returned it, surprised. Presea hadn't been at all affectionate before, but that had evidently changed. She had also grown a foot or two, and was wearing a slightly different kind of dress. It looked similar, but it had short sleeves, and extended closer to her knees. It was still loose enough not to restrict movement, and it all went very well with her familiar white gloves and boots. "Lloyd," she said, sighing, "You haven't aged a day. Must be angel blood."

Presea quickly released him and moved on to Genis. She enveloped him in a tight hug as well. Looking almost panicked, Genis returned it. Presea looked up at him. "At least you've grown. You still have an inch or two on me."

"Th..th…than…ks…" stuttered Genis.

Presea laughed. "You know, that always irked me, and it still does. I'm twenty years older than you, I should be taller."

"S…sorry," he mumbled.

"It's not your fault," she laughed. "Actually…" But she was interrupted by a cry from Zelos.

"Oy, brat, give everyone else a chance,"

Genis flushed, but Presea laughed and released him. She moved on to Raine, who gave her a hearty handshake, but no hug. Sheena gave her a hug and chatted for a while, while Zelos tapped his foot impatiently.

As this was happening, Genis slowly moved both arms to behind his head, closed his eyes and tilted his face upwards, sighing. "What's up?" asked Lloyd. He had grown taller. In a year or two, he might even be taller than Lloyd.

"I should have expected this…" He said, more to himself than Lloyd. "I prepared myself for old Presea, not even thinking she would change…"

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," said Lloyd, slapping him on the back. "She surprised everyone!" Genis looked at Lloyd as if to say, "You're not helping," then glanced back to Presea. With an extremely tight hug from Colette, she had finished greeting everyone.

"All right," she said, clapping her hands, "Anyone doing anything fun?"

After a moment of silence, Colette said, "I'm using one of my chakra to play flying disc with Noishe. You guys can use the other one if you want to."

"Okay," expelled Presea cheerfully. "As long as it's not one of those spiked ones," she added as a side note to Colette. They both laughed. "Anyone else coming?" She looked hopefully around.

"I'll come," said Sheena. "Flying disc will be fun in such a big field."

"I…I…I'll…" stuttered Genis.

"Come too. Thank you for extending the open invitation," completed Zelos. "Honestly, Genis, you need to get rid of that stutter. It really slows you down sometimes."

Genis flushed again. "Sh…shut up!" Zelos sighed knowingly.

Presea giggled. "Are you going to come though, Zelos?" she asked.

"Yeah," he stated, "just give me a few minutes."

Zelos sighed loudly as they walked away. He turned to Lloyd. "Well, now even Rosebud is accounted for. Darn,"

Lloyd laughed, then asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't noticed how Genis behaves around her? And how sweet she is to him?"

"Oh…" said Lloyd. Come to think of it, he had wondered why Genis only stuttered around Presea. For a little while he had assumed Genis was afraid of her giant axe. When Genis got her an axe sharpener, he had to reconsider. Eventually, he just gave it up for something to think about later.

"I guess you would notice that, wouldn't you?" he laughed, nudging Zelos in the ribs. "Still the same old Zelos, huh?"

Zelos took a long deep breath. "No…not at all really," he murmured, mostly to himself.

"What are you talking about? You're still the philanderer, the narcissist, the idiot Chosen, aren't you?"

Zelos snorted. "I may still be the narcissist, and I'm probably still an idiot, but, well…I'm not quite as…loose…as I used to be."

"Why?" asked Lloyd. They were now almost alone in the field, everyone but Raine, who was examining some distant rock, off to play flying disc. "Don't you still have all your…er…honies?"

Zelos laughed cynically. "I could have them if I wanted too, but what good would it do?" He sighed, and there was silence for a moment as Lloyd tried to grasp that statement. "When I got back, I found that the shallow relationships I formed with any woman I could find meant nothing compared to the understanding and trust I had with all of you. Before, I never really thought about actually forming any kind of serious relationship, but I found myself contemplating that just a year or two after I got back."

"So did you?" asked Lloyd, intrigued.

"Well…" began Zelos, but suddenly his response was interrupted as he began cracking up.

"Oh, no…Were you lying to me, Zelos?"

Zelos continued to chuckle as he wiped the corners of his eyes. "No, no, I was serious, but the brat just made the worst throw I've ever seen!" Lloyd glanced over. Genis was indeed picking up the flying disc, his face so red that Lloyd could almost feel the heat from ten meters away.

"Sorry, Lloyd, I'll finish my story tomorrow, he really needs some help." And with that he jogged off to assist Genis.

Lloyd stood in the field for a minute or two longer, contemplating Zelos' words. Lloyd wanted to believe Zelos had changed, but he was flirting with Raine and Sheena just a few minutes ago. Then again, maybe flirting was just Zelos' way of being friendly.

After a minute though, it became too hot to stand anywhere. Lloyd was beginning to sweat, which was unpleasant considering he almost never changed his tight red outfit. The game of flying disc was breaking, due to the heat, and Noishe had lain down and was refusing to play any more fetch.

Lloyd wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "Are you sure Efreet isn't following you, Sheena?" he asked her as she staggered towards him.

Sheena lay down on the ground, her eyes closed. "I told him to stay at his seal, but I'm beginning to think he may be,"

"It's come on so suddenly. It was hot before, but not this bad," added Genis, shielding his eyes.

"Perhaps the owners of that building will let us rest there," said Raine, pointing to a building the Lloyd had hitherto not noticed, up on the mountainside.

"I don't remember that building," said Zelos, confused.

"It looks fairly temporary, like a bunker. It may just be for some kind of research project. I wouldn't be surprised if they only set it up a month or two ago."

"Well," said Sheena, pushing herself up from the ground. "No harm in asking, come on everyone."

"I'll stay behind with our stuff," interjected Colette. "And I'll watch for Regal."

"All right," said Presea cheerily, "We'll be back in a little while."

As they marched towards the building, it only grew hotter. Lloyd began to wonder at what temperature grass would burn.

"Uhh…" moaned Zelos. "It's hotter than that Triet Desert place we went to for the Seal of Fire."

"I think you're just imagining things," replied Sheena.

"Besides, the heat in the Triet Desert was caused because of the large amount of fire mana Efreet produces. There are no sources of fire mana nearby."

"Um…sis…" said Genis. "I'm beginning to feel mana as we get closer to that building."

"It's probably just the Great Tree," Raine answered.

"Maybe…"

So they marched on. Lloyd was sure that if it were a comfortable temperature, they would be there already, but the heat slowed them down considerably. Lloyd looked down at his outfit every once in a while, and it was already soaked with sweat.

"Sheena…" he mumbled. "Can't you summon Celsius, or Undine?"

"I might have been able to before," she responded, "but I'm too tired now."

And they trudged on. Lloyd's vision was beginning to be impaired. He saw waves of heat beginning to emanate from the plain. Every once in a while, Lloyd would glance back to see how the rest of the party was faring. Everyone seemed to be doing about as well as he was, but Genis was looking increasingly troubled.

Finally, they were only a few hundred meters from the building.

"It's not even noon!" exclaimed Sheena, suddenly and violently. It was indeed, a couple minutes before.

"This is hotter than those saunas at the Hot Springs in…What's wrong, Genis?" Zelos turned around, as did Lloyd. Genis had frozen in place, his face twisted as if in fear.

"Lloyd…" he said slowly, trying to keep calm. "There's an insane amount of mana here, and it's not the tree."

"What do you mean there's mana here? Like a summon spirit?"

Genis was breathing very deeply. "Maybe…All I know is that there is a lot of mana here, and we aren't anywhere near strong enough to survive it without our exspheres. And I know that as we speak, it's getting stronger."

"But what could cause such a spike in mana? Do you have any ideas, Professor?"

"Well," Raine began, "the Great Tree may be emitting more mana because it's growing, or maybe…" but Presea cut her off.

"Lloyd, I don't think this is the time to ask questions…I think Genis is right, I think we need to get out of here."

Lloyd glanced at Genis, and was taken aback. He was literally shaking.

"All right, we need to get out of here." Upon hearing that, Genis turned around and bolted as if he hadn't been walking in over forty degree Celsius heat for the last hour. Seeing Genis' desperation to get away, Lloyd began to run after him. It was getting hotter as the sun moved closer to its peak, but now they were all running on pure adrenaline.

As they ran, slowly red translucent tendrils of pure mana began rising up in a huge circle around in a gargantuan circle around them. Despite everyone's surprise at the sudden change in the graveness of their situation, no one stopped running as Sheena yelled, "Ignore them! Run straight through!" And so they ran through. The tendrils of mana didn't react at all to the passage of six strangers.

They ran on for a good three or four minutes after they made it outside of the circle, before Genis reached the top of a knoll and collapsed on his hands and knees. "I think…we're…safe…here," he gasped out, still shaking.

Presea staggered over to him. "Are you…alright?" she asked, putting her hand on his forehead. Genis gently removed it, crawled over to the side of the hill, and puked off the edge. He then flipped himself onto his back and groaned.

"Heat exhaustion," said Raine, "Coupled with the shock of all that mana." She moved over to him and started to hover her staff over him. Healing light began to shine on him. "Does anyone have water?"

"Here," said Presea, handing Raine her canteen. "I don't…Look!" She exclaimed, pointing upward.

The tendrils of mana were still rising from the ground, twisting slowly towards the center of the circle, but that was not what Presea was pointing to. High above the field, as the sun reached its noontime zenith, it began to shine more brightly than ever before, and red fire began erupting from it far above the earth.

As they all stood entranced, shielding their eyes, a bright spot began to form at the bottom of the sun. Then soundlessly, as the sun hovered over the center of the circle, the bright spot at the bottom pulled back into the sun, and then erupted into a beam of blinding white fire, aimed straight down.

Everyone gasped, but before anyone had time to respond, the beam surged straight from space into the ground. There was a flash of light, a deafening explosion, and a wave of blistering heat. Then, the air was cool and pleasant, leaving no evidence of the spectacular occurrence but a blistering, black, and empty crater in the middle of the field.


	2. Chapter 2

They were all silent for a long time. Thin trails of smoke wafted up from the scorched grass around the blast radius, but the devastation inside the circle was so great there was nothing left to burn. The ground hadn't cracked at all, just left one giant black circle, with black streaks of charred grass radiating outwards. The gentle breeze had become cool, but it now filled their mouths with smoke. The streaks of charred ground stretched up the rocky mountainside, all of the circle was on the plain.

Raine coughed into her arm, then realized she was still holding Presea's canteen. "Here," she said, handing it to Genis. "You'll still need to drink this."

Genis accepted it, but he didn't drink. He only held it in his almost limp hand, staring at the center of the circle.

An unvoiced question was swimming around the minds of all present, and Zelos finally gave voice to it. "What on earth was THAT?"

"It looked like…Ozette," said Presea, sounding almost like her old self. "When it was destroyed."

"Yes," said Genis, "but the bolt from the air that hit Ozette came from angels, not…the sun, or whatever this came from."

The smoke was beginning to burn Lloyd's eyes, so he looked away. "Well, at least the Great Tree is alright," he said. It stood by itself in the field, a lone sentinel providing mana to keep the entire world safe.

"But what if it happens again, and closer to the tree?" asked Sheena. "Or if it gets more powerful, or starts a fire?"

"No!" shouted Lloyd. "I won't let the only thing providing mana for the worlds die. I won't let all the work we did to go in vain!"

"Whoa, Lloyd, slow down," cautioned Zelos. "I think we need to figure out what this bolt of fiery doom is before we can do anything about it, or worry about it coming back."

"And how are we going to do that?" asked Sheena, a little exasperated. "I don't think anything like this has ever been recorded, and other than the crater, there is no evidence left."

Genis pushed himself to his feet. He took a swig of water, and then shakily pointed a finger up to the mountain. "Maybe we should ask them." Lloyd followed his finger up to the building on the mountainside they had been traveling to. It was just outside the area of the explosion, and two men in white coats were emerging.

"They look like they're from Sybak," Presea spat. "I still hate that place." She pulled her axe off her back and rummaged through her pack for a sharpening stone. As she pulled it out, Genis jumped about a foot.

"S…say…Presea…isn't that the axe sharpener I made you?"

She looked down at it. "Of course! Why would I use another one?" Genis blushed.

Lloyd grinned at him. Lloyd couldn't believe that he had missed the obvious attraction Genis had for Presea. Turning his face back to the crater, he fingered his sword hilt. "Alright, everyone, don't draw your weapons, we don't want to fight unless it's necessary. That being said, be ready in case they're hostile. We don't know how powerful they are, or if there are more in the building."

"Nice to see you thinking rationally, Lloyd," said Raine.

Slowly they began to approach. They descended the knoll, and walked carefully on. It was a difficult balance between wanting to be heard, and noticed, so as not surprise the men in white coats, and sneaking, as their instincts told them. After all, these men probably just caused an explosion that easily could have killed them. Either way, the men were not listening very hard, or were ignoring the rustling of the long grass as Lloyd and his party approached.

One of the white-coats glanced up as they were nearing the edge of the blast. He hurriedly began consulting with the other one as Lloyd edged out of the grass into the black, scorched wasteland.

"Careful, Lloyd," cautioned Sheena. "They don't look too happy to see us." The men were still quite a distance, but Lloyd could see them nodding.

"Stay right there!" yelled the taller one. He had a voice of authority, but there was a note of panic. Lloyd stopped, and everyone else in the party dutifully did so as well. The two men consulted a moment longer, then pulled staffs from off their backs. Runes began swirling around them, and they each began a strange little dance.

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "First they tell us to stand still, then they start shooting at us. Honestly, do they think we're just going to obey them?" He drew Flamberge and Vorpal. "Weapons out," he commanded. "And remember, try to keep them alive. We want information."

"Charge!" yelled Zelos. Everyone began sprinting at the two men.

"Flame Rocket!" screamed the shorter of the two men. A long javelin of fire erupted from the tip of his staff and whizzed towards Lloyd. Surprised, Lloyd dove out of the way, rolling back to his feet. Unfortunately, the other man had been expecting this, and let another Flame Rocket fly straight to Lloyd.

"Guardian!" he yelled. The spell hit him straight on, warming the inside of his protective bubble, almost frying him, and knocking him back several feet. However, he quickly flipped himself back up. Raine diverted her course over to him, but he shook his head, indicating he was fine.

She gave him a short appraisal then resumed her charge. One of the men had begun to cast another spell, and the other was pulling an item from a small pack on his shoulder. It looked like a small stone, but the man twisted the top of it and it emitted a wave of red light. Lloyd whipped up his blade to defend, but the light passed harmlessly through everyone.

"What was that?" he asked Raine.

"A signal, I'd presume. Look!"

Four more men ran out of the building. One of them looked like he too was from Sybak, but the others were more menacing. They looked like mercenaries. Two had swords, the other a massive axe.

Lloyd swore. "Presea! Genis! Deal with these two! Everyone else, help me intercept them!" Lloyd quickly fell into a formation with Zelos and Sheena, while Raine trailed behind.

The men who came from the building all looked at each other questioning, then paired off with the members of the party. The white cloaked man stayed back to cast spells, while the axe men fingered his axe menacingly, looking straight at Lloyd. Lloyd continued his sprint up the mountainside. The man began to whirl his axe around, but Lloyd jumped over it, and then followed with a quick upward and subsequent downward cut, also known as a Tiger Blade.

The man staggered backwards, but Lloyd could tell he had probably left no more than bruises. The man seemed to be wearing an extremely thick layer of chain mail under his green clothes, or maybe even two.

Nonetheless, Lloyd took advantage of the man's off balance, and began a series of quick stabs. By this time, the man had regained his balance, and he jumped away from the swords. Still, his armor made him slow, so Lloyd was ready by the time the man heaved his axe over his back and brought it down for a crushing blow. Lloyd jumped back, but the man stepped forward even as the axe peaked over his head, forcing Lloyd to bring up his swords to stop the enormous momentum.

He was successful, but it still jolted his hands and arms, numbing them. The man began pushing down on his axe, and therefore Lloyd's crossed swords, forcing him to move slowly down the hill. If he lost his balance now, he would topple all the way down to the bottom. Lloyd's mind began frantically whirring for a solution.

The man continued slowly pushing him down the hill. Lloyd couldn't disengage, because he wouldn't be able to dodge fast enough to prevent the axe from coming straight down onto his head. Lloyd's eyes frantically switched between the man's grim face and behind his feet, watching for any loose rocks, or scree. Even the slightest misstep could make him slip, bringing the axe down. Fortunately, Lloyd had retained his balance and was wearing light armor, while the man had two layers of chain mail. Lloyd could move his feet out of the way of any obstruction faster than the axeman, and this advantage soon gave him his chance. The axeman stumbled on the trunk of a small bush Lloyd had carefully avoided, and tripped, falling to the ground. As he tripped, Lloyd sidestepped the man's tumbling axe, and slashed downwards with Flamberge, ripping through the weak armpit of the man's chainmail.

Lloyd could tell by the way he tumbled down the mountain, to the giant black crater on the plain, that he was dead. Lloyd grimly turned up to the rest of his companions. The corpses of the two swordsmen were lying face down on the mountainside. One looked almost completely uninjured, but Lloyd knew that The Last Fencer had a way slipping through one on the tiny holes in the armor and piercing the heart. Sheena was kneeling a distance away, and Raine was healing her. She looked badly injured, but Lloyd had learned to trust Raine's healing arts.

Zelos was physically grappling with the mage. He still held the Last Fencer in his hand, but the mage was holding it away. Lloyd ran to help Zelos. Seeing Lloyd coming at him, the mage realized how desperate his situation was, and kneed Zelos in the crotch. Zelos let out a horrified scream of pain. Temporarily disabled, Zelos could not resist as the man flipped him over onto his back. The mage tried to jump on Zelos, kneeing him in the stomach, and possibly but Zelos had recovered enough to weakly hold up the Last Fencer, and impale the man as he jumped. The sword pierced through the man, and his limp form landed on Zelos. Lloyd finally reached Zelos, and heaved the man's corpse off of him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Zelos gazed at him through half closed eyes. "That…was a low blow," he rasped. Raine arrived at the scene, with Sheena right behind him. "No…Professor Raine…Sheena…I don't want you to see me like this…"

"Enough melodrama, Zelos, you'll be fine, here take my hand."

"I'll never be with a woman again…" he cried, in less of a rasp and more of a wail as Raine pulled him to his feet. He put his arm around her, as if for support.

"Somehow I doubt that," Sheena whispered to Lloyd. They both tried to stifle their laughter.

"Are you laughing at my noble battle wound?" Zelos demanded. He was beginning to sound less and less injured.

Raine shrugged off his arm. "As I said Zelos, enough acting, your injury is not serious, but there may be serious ones if we don't go assist Genis and Presea." Lloyd glanced down the hill to the crater. One of the men in white was lying face down, and part of his coat was stained red. The other was engaged in a close quarters battle with Presea. He used his staff effectively as a weapon, but with a different style with Raine. His hands were spread out, making parrying much easier. As they watched, the man in white sent out a burst of pure mana from his body, expelling Presea from his general area. She landed badly, but quickly pushed herself back up and charged again. She was more successful this time, as Genis had just cast Spread, pushing the man into the air and knocking him back down.

"Quick!" yelled Lloyd. "Help them out!" They all began running down the mountain. At first, Zelos was level with Lloyd and Sheena, until he remembered he was acting injured and quickly fell back with Raine, pretending to limp.

As they approached Presea heartlessly hacked at the man with her axe, but he repeatedly blocked with his staff, just barely staying alive. Finally, he rolled upwards onto his feet, but Presea had already begun to spin around. He scarcely raised his staff in time, but the force was too much, and the axe drove itself three-quarters of the way through the wood.

"Don't worry, Rosebud!" yelled Zelos. "The Masked Swordsman is coming to save you!" The mage turned to see four more combatants charging down the mountain, gaining speed every second. He turned back to Presea, his face set in a look of grim amusement, and pushed his staff over her axe, snapping in completely in half.

"Spread!" screamed Genis desperately, realizing the significance of the mage's last act. With a colossal explosion, each half of the staff detonated, and sent a massive jet of flames rocketing out of the severed end. The gargantuan detonation immediately consumed the man in the cloak, but encountered Genis' geyser of water before the reached Presea. Nonetheless, they continued, weakened, but still strong, straight at Presea. She managed to put up a Guardian before they totally surrounded her. The flames raged around her for a second, then curled upwards to the heavens and disappeared.

Presea lowered her protective shield, swayed in place for a moment, then fell down onto her back. They all stood in shock for a moment, and then simultaneously yelled, "Presea!" Raine reached her first, and dropped to her knees to heal her. Lloyd reached her next and heard Raine muttering, "The burns aren't too bad, I'm worried about the energy it took to sustain a guardian that long, and against that strong of an explosion."

"Are you alright, Presea?" he asked as everyone else arrived behind him. She didn't look like she had any burns at all, except for on her right hand and the front of her left forearm. These areas were covered by her gloves, but Lloyd could see they had partially melted as Presea stretched them out to start the Guardian.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I'll be fine, though I am a little tired."

"You have a right to be," added Zelos. But then he furrowed his brow and began to cast First Aid.

"Lloyd," said Raine, "Check if there's an apple gel in her pack, it would help her regain strength,"

Lloyd rummaged through the energy tablets and magic lenses, the quartzes and the bottles, the ribbons and rings, to find a small, old apple gel. "Will this do?" he asked doubtfully.

"It can't hurt," answered Raine. Lloyd handed it to Presea, who took it gratefully and used it.

"I think I can get up now," she said. "I've been hurt worse before, and I always feel better when I'm up."

Raine appraised her again. "Yes, she's right. Lloyd, Genis, help her up, but don't touch her arms or hands." Lloyd and Genis looked at each other confusedly for a minute, before Genis thought of a solution.

"Wedge your hands under her shoulders, then push up on her back, so she's standing by herself, with our support. You just need to make sure she doesn't tip one way or another."

"I was going to suggest pulling on her hair," admitted Lloyd, "but your way is much better." Presea gave Lloyd a look almost as frightening as Raine when she was mad. "Hehehehe…" he laughed nervously, then whispered "Genis, maybe we should leave her on the ground."

Genis rolled his eyes, but wedged his hands under Presea's shoulders. Lloyd followed. Genis assured her, "Alright Presea, you're still going to need to do most of the standing, we're just going to make sure you don't hurt your arms, or fall over."

They delicately lifted her into a standing position. "Thank you very much," she told Genis, still giving Lloyd the cold shoulder for his suggestion to hoist her up by her pigtails.

Genis flushed again, but remarkably didn't stutter as he told her, "No problem."

Raine evaluated Presea again, and the longer she looked, the more befuddled she got. "Zelos…" she began slowly. "Normally, you are a fairly effective healer, but this time your First Aid didn't seem to work on her burns. Give her another one."

About half way through Zelos' spell, Raine clapped her hands with an epiphany, and poked Zelos with the end of her rod, and hard.

"Oww!" he said, breaking his concentration. "What's wrong?"

"Don't waste your energy," she replied. "You're healing her right, but her burnt gloves are cooking her skin as fast as you can heal it. Lloyd, help me peel them off, but stop if you think you're pulling off skin."

"What?" asked Lloyd, desperately looking around for someone to step in and save him.

"And do it quickly, the gloves are still burning her," Raine added.

"I'm sorry," Lloyd mouthed to Presea as he began to strip the gloves from her arms. Lloyd knew he wasn't being nearly as delicate as Raine, and Presea winced several times as he pulled the gloves off her arms.

Once, he accidentally ripped her glove, leaving a little bit glued to her arm, which he had to delicately pick off, trying not to hurt her more than he had already. And once when he was finishing up with her hand, his hands slipped and he ripped a good deal of skin off the back of her hand. He knew he hurt her by the sharp intake of breath, but he ignored it and tried to finish as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Raine finished a few seconds after him, and walked over to inspect his work. She nodded. "You could have done worse," she said, finally. "The apple gel seems to be working. Already the burns are healing." Lloyd could see that the skin he had removed from the back of her hand was returning, and some of the angry blisters were shrinking. "But still," continued Raine, "It would be best to supplement it with some healing. Zelos, we'll each do a First Aid."

After a moment of silence, they cast their spells, and the blisters and redness covering her arms and hands began to fade. First only the most serious burns changed, melding into the color of the secondary, less serious blisters. Then the blisters shrunk into her skin, making all of her arms a reddish color. Finally, spots began to heal all over her arm, returning it entirely to her skin color.

"Thank you," she said. "Can I wear my gloves again?" Raine picked them up off the ground and surveyed them critically.

"The hands are salvageable, which is good, if you want to be able to use your axe without blisters, but the rest is too burnt and melted to use."

"Here," said Zelos, flipping a small knife from his boot. "I always keep it incase I get into a dangerous situation. You can use it to cut the gloves." Presea sighed heavily and took it, then began working on the gloves. Even melted and burnt, they looked tough to cut through. The knife couldn't get much traction. Finally, she managed to cut the arm section off of one, and she put the much shorter glove on her right hand. She began to work on the other.

"These were the original gloves I wore on the reunification journey," she grieved. "It's a bit sad to see them go. Still, they were getting tight, and inhibiting a little bit of my movement, so I suppose it's good." She finished quickly and pulled the glove onto her hand.

Lloyd sighed and walked over to the scorched corpse of the taller researcher. He turned the black remains over, trying to see if the man had left any important evidence as to who he was in his cloak, but it was all futile. Lloyd couldn't even tell where the smoldering coat ended, and the charred corpse began.

"I guess we don't know any more about these people now than we did before, other than that they're extremely dangerous. Maybe there are some documents in the building. Still, it would be better if we had a live prisoner."

"Yes," said Raine, "Let's check out the bunker, if that's what it is."

As they began to walk towards the rocky slope, Genis sidled up to Lloyd and said in a very clear, concise undertone, "Lloyd, don't do anything sudden, but I don't think that the shorter of the researchers is dead." Lloyd almost whipped his head around to check, but remembered Genis' warning.

"How can you tell?" he asked in the same undertone.

Genis creased his brow, and thought for a second. "I hit him with an Air Thrust…but even from where I was I could tell I hadn't hit anything vital. A gash on his stomach, at the worst. Nothing that would kill him. I think he's playing dead. He probably plans to bolt as soon as we go in the building."

"So…what should we do? If he figures out we know he's faking, he'll run."

"At the point of our path when we're closest to him, you and Zelos start chasing him. You two are the fastest, so you should be able to catch him. He'll have a head start, but he is a little injured. I'll tell Zelos to start chasing at…say…that big brown rock up there that has the first couple feet burned, but nothing else. Okay?"

Lloyd nodded, and stretched out a little bit, still trying to look casual. Zelos caught his eye a little before the brown boulder, and slowly winked. Lloyd returned the gesture. Zelos carefully nudged Raine and Sheena and put a finger to his lips, indicating silence. Lloyd did the same for Presea. Zelos held up a hand with three fingers up. He slowly lowered one, then another, and on the last, both he and Lloyd began sprinting at the motionless supposed corpse of the shorter researcher.

The faker shifted his head just a little to see why his opponents were running. When he realized they were running at him, he jumped up with surprising agility and whipped from his coat pocket a vial of some potion. He downed it in one gulp, shook his head to clear it, and began to sprint away from them. He was impossibly fast for someone who had just been injured. Lloyd suspected the potion he just drank was the cause of his sudden health and speed. Lloyd and Zelos were slowly closing the distance between them, but Lloyd could tell from the occasional fleeting glances the man chanced back at them that he was not tiring at all. Lloyd and Zelos were not so lucky.

Lloyd could feel his legs burning, his lungs heaving, and knew that though he hadn't started yet, he inevitably would begin to start, and soon. Glancing over to Zelos, Lloyd could tell that though he was fairing a little better, he still wouldn't be able to catch their quarry.

Lloyd knew that this chase couldn't turn into a long distance race. He and Zelos were sprinters, not endurance runners, and even if they were, the man's fortitude was enhanced by whatever he had drunk in the crater. In addition, the man's destination couldn't be that far. Lloyd hadn't noticed any vehicles anywhere around the bunker, and the researchers cloaks were too clean for them to have been traveling through the wilderness for several days. Of course, they might have just brought a change of clothes, but Lloyd doubted that they would be the kind of men who would trek through the wilderness for several days anyway.

Maybe ten or twenty seconds later, Zelos tripped. It was inevitable, as the long grass totally hid any obstructions. He rolled a meter or two then sprawled out on the ground his chest heaving. Normally, Lloyd would stop, but he knew Zelos was going to be fine, and that if he stopped now, he would have no chance whatsoever of finding where the man was running to, let alone catching him.

It was only moments before Lloyd's outlook completely switched to the opposite pole. Two objects were rapidly approaching them from the air. One was supported by her own wings, the other by a blue Rheaird. The man ran with his head down, so as not to miss anything and trip, and thus did not see the danger until too late.

He glanced back to see if Lloyd had caught up yet, and was confused at the massive grin on his face. Slightly disturbed he glanced forward to see a blue haired man on a Rheaird flying directly at him. He didn't even have time to let out a scream.

Just like Presea, Regal stored his Rheaird a good five feet off the ground, letting himself fall at extremely high forward speeds. He didn't have to do anything but extend one foot to deliver a crippling blow to the man's ribcage.

He crumpled like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

"Nice timing, Regal," puffed Lloyd trying to regain his breath. He was almost successful, until it was knocked out of him again by a young angel who nearly bodyslammed him, trying to hug him.

"Lloyd!" she yelled. "I was so worried! Thank Martel you're okay! I saw the explosion near the building and thought maybe you had hit, and then Regal showed up and we tried to get here as quick as we could, and then we saw someone in red chasing someone in white, and we knew it had to be you, so…"

Lloyd would have laughed if he wasn't gasping for breath. "It's…alright…and I know the rest."

"My…ribs…" groaned the man on the ground.

"It won't kill you," said Regal brusquely.

"But we might," said Zelos, coming up behind Lloyd. He looked like his stumble hadn't hurt him too badly. Of course, he might have just used a First Aid on himself. "Unless you tell us everything you know about whatever kind of crazy experiment you people organized back there."

The rest of the party slowly showed up at their different rates. All of them were huffing and puffing, but still looking very angry and menacing. The more people showed up, the more the man cowered, and curled up, still trying not to touch his ribs. Regal had probably broken at least three or four or them. Lloyd couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity, but he did his best not to show it, as Zelos slowly and deliberately told him, "I don't have time to wait for my information. Either you tell me now, or I dispose of you and find another source." Zelos drew The Last Fencer with an oiled rasp and placed the tip at the man's throat."

Zelos is a good actor, thought Lloyd idly. If he didn't know him, Lloyd would have been convinced. Zelos waited a moment longer. "Fine," he said lazily. "I thought we could do this the easy way." He stole a glance at Lloyd and gave him a playful wink, disguised by a grim nod. Lloyd caught on quickly. As Raine had remarked earlier, he was only clever in times of peril.

He nodded back. "We don't need this urchin. Eliminate him." Everyone in the party gaped at Lloyd's sudden harshness. He had just ordered Zelos to do exactly what he stood against.

Zelos drew back his sword, ready to plunge it into the man's heart. "Wait!" yelled the man desperately. "I can tell you…I can tell you everything! Please, let me go!"

"You heard me Zelos." Lloyd continued his act. "We don't need him, so get it over with."

"No!" screamed the man. He sounded unstable, almost insane. "I can tell you where I work, who I work for…where we're planning the next experiment!"

"Perhaps we should listen to him, boss," challenged Zelos.

Lloyd sighed and rolled his eyes, as if exasperated. He looked around to everyone else in the party. "Is everyone so softhearted?" Most of them had realized the act by this time, and joined in. They tried to seem reluctant in their "Aye"s.

Lloyd sighed again, and tried to seem displeased. "Very well. We might as well squeeze a little information out of this wretch. I'll only let him live based on if he can tell me what I need to hear."

The man audibly gulped as Lloyd put his face inches from the man's.

"First," he snarled. "Who do you work for?"

Breathing heavily, the man began his tale.


	3. Chapter 3

The man gulped

The man gulped. "My name is…Lehrow White…and I work for a group known as the…um…Tethe'allan Superiority Group."

Lloyd's muscles tensed at the name of the organization. Right after people began to end discrimination against half-elves, they moved on to start discriminating against another group, and he was one of the people in the group. Perhaps it was just the natural tendency of men to make themselves superior by setting themselves above others. Nonetheless, Lloyd did his best to ignore the name and maintain his illusion as the harsh dictator of the group.

He stood with his back to the rest of the group to make even more real his act of harsh apathy towards the man's life. Despite their false confidence that they did not need this man's information, Lloyd seriously doubted the researchers would leave the mounds of data that Lloyd now needed lying around in their little bunker, and if this Lehrow man wouldn't talk, then they were sunk. And so he listened carefully without questioning anything or appearing interested, yet he hung onto every word.

"The…theory…of the group is based on the…er…false assumption that…Tethe'allans are superior to those from Sylvarant." Lehrow spoke slowly and delicately, though not out of fear. He chose his words carefully to distance himself from the group, to make it seem like they had forced him into this, or that he had no real devotion. Also, occasionally his paused to gingerly prod his ribs, and then wince. Lloyd wished that he could have Raine heal him, but he could not think of a tactful way to do so and still be seen as the merciless warlord he was pretending to be.

"With this belief…comes the goal to…ah…subjugate all Sylvaranters, in order to forward the development of the Tethe'allans."

"And how do they plan to do this?" asked Genis cynically. "Make an army, start a war between Tethe'alla and Sylvarant? That sounds awfully familiar."

"I don't know much about the group itself, or its long term goals…all I know is that I was recruited to perform a simple experiment about mana transportation."

"So, that huge explosion that could have killed us, or obliterated the Giant Kharlan Tree, dooming both worlds, was just a little experiment for the sake of science, was it?" Zelos dared him to answer with a little jab in the air from the Last Fencer.

Lehrow glanced around nervously. "Not…exactly…Although I'm not actually part of the organization, I've gotten the gist of the plans. They were originally thinking of using these massive explosions of mana to target the main cities in Sylvarant…but they decided against it. I'd assume it's because they require too much setup, and would probably kill many of those they wish to enslave."

"So what is their plan?" asked Regal calmly. He was the only one of the group who could be utterly horrifying without even trying.

"I'm not completely sure…but I was told that this experiment was dealing with the aggressiveness of mana, and its ability to obliterate as opposed to infuse. They told me they wanted the latter result."

"What does that mean?" asked Colette innocently. She was the opposite of Regal. Even if she had been trying she couldn't scare a mouse (unless her subject thought she was the reincarnation of Spiritua).

"Essentially…their goal is, instead of blowing a huge crater into the ground, they wanted…say…the beam to hit one piece of grass and have that piece of grass get charged with all that mana."

"And what would an ultra charged piece of grass do for them?" asked Sheena. Lloyd glanced sideways at her, and could tell that despite her question she already had a good idea of what it would do.

"Don't you see?" asked Lehrow, getting a bit of a nasty look in his eyes. Even though Lloyd could tell that he wasn't deep into the organization, Lehrow had ambitions, and he admired them, even if he wouldn't admit it. "They've already discovered that the massive amounts of unused man in the sun are impractical to use to destroy anything. If they're not destroying something…"

"They're infusing it with all that power…" completed Raine, her face whitening. She slowly raised her hand to her face in surprised horror.

"Exactly…" hissed Lehrow. "Once they find something that can contain all of that mana without exploding, they'll have a portable mana cannon. Nothing will be able to stand in their way!"

Zelos whipped his face around, back to Lehrow, and hurled the Last Fencer a millimeter from his ear, jamming it in the ground. He then dropped onto his hands so that his face was just under an inch away from Lehrow's. "Where are they planning the next experiment?"

Lehrow seemed to suddenly remember that he was surrounded by eight of the strongest and most devoted people in either world, and that he had a broken ribcage. "I…I…I…really can't tell you!"

Zelos held his furious face for one moment, then relaxed it, shook his head, and slowly and pushed himself up and away from Lehrow's face. "Bad move, Lehrow…Bad, bad move." With a rasp, he drew the Last Fencer from the earthy sheath he had just deposited it in, and drew it back. He began to thrust the sword when Lehrow yelled.

"No…no! It's on Erethia Isle near Flanoir in exactly two months!" He dropped back off his hands so he could shield himself. He had his eyes closed and was wincing, preparing to be stabbed. After a moment, he realized he had not yet been impaled, so it might be a good idea to start talking. "I wasn't even supposed to know, but the man giving me the file telling me where to go dropped his papers, and I saw that next on the list was Erethia Isle. I'm not sure about the two months, but that's usually the time between experiments of this magnitude. The two months gives enough time to gather data from the last experiment, then interpret that data and set up another experiment with it in mind." He was babbling now, and made as if to continue, but was interrupted.

"How easy would it be to stop one of these experiments?" asked Zelos, still holding his sword back threateningly.

Lehrow took a deep breath to calm himself, then scoffed. "Remarkably easy. You could arrive ten minutes before and dig up one of the magical catalysts planted around the circle and the whole thing would probably cease. Then again, it might go off anyway and just cause massive destruction because it's not controlled anymore. Still, the eight of you could probably show up a day early and shut the whole thing down." Genis grinned smugly.

"Only the fool is flattered by a captive, Genis," quipped Raine. Genis' smile fell. Presea giggled, then quickly covered her mouth, remaining serious and threatening.

"Does the Tethe'allan Superiority Group have any connections to any other groups, currently existing or otherwise?" asked Regal in a monotone.

"I…don't…well….maybe," said Lehrow, suddenly looking thoughtful. "When I was at the headquarters, I noticed there were a lot of people from the Sybak Magitechnology Development Section, so there may be a connection there. I haven't thought about it until now."

"You know where the headquarters is?!" demanded Zelos, livid, "And you didn't tell us?"

"Of course not!" Lehrow sneered nastily. "These people are professionals! They knocked me out when they wanted me and deposited me deep under their base. When they told me what they wanted me to do, they tied me up, blindfolded me and sent me back in a wagon. I have no idea where it is, other than a long bumpy way from Meltokio."

Lloyd winced at the venom in Lehrow's words. He was beginning to detect their act, and was responding with impudence. He likely wouldn't give them any more information, and was certainly beginning to realize Zelos wasn't going to stab him.

Lloyd thought it would be good to extend the play just a moment longer. He needed some kind of communication to the group, so he slowly turned around, a devious and sickly sweet smile on his face. "Lehrow," he began, with a tone that hopefully sounded like false care and pity laced with threat, "I think you can be a messenger for us. If this…superiority group has found you once, they will find you again, and I have something I want you to tell them." He paused lavishly, let the silence act as a cue to remember what he was going to say next. "Tell him…that Lloyd Irving…the Grand Swordsman…no, the Master Swordsman…wait, the Eternal Swordsman…"

"How about Eternal Apprentice?" sputtered Genis, barely containing his mirth.

"Shut up, Genis!" snapped Lloyd, returning to his normal voice. "I had him so impressed, and now you ruined it."

"I'm sorry," replied Genis. His apology was ruined by his almost uncontrollable snickers. "I couldn't resist."

"Oh! Oh! Lloyd! I've got one!" exclaimed Colette cheerfully. She had been the least intimidating the whole time, and was now very glad that the act was over. "How about Pirate? I like that costume!"

"The actual title is 'Arrgh, Me Hearties', Colette, and somehow I doubt that would impress the leader of this mysterious organization," replied Regal simply. She sighed in defeat.

"Well," said Zelos, looking like he was going to explode with laughter at any second, "It's certainly better than 'Peeping Tom'!" He cracked up as all the females in the group groaned. Regal gave a thin smile.

"What?!" demanded Genis. "I haven't heard this story!"

"You don't want to," groaned Sheena. "That was so embarrassing for all of us."

"Not for me!" exclaimed Zelos. "It was sooooooo worth it just to see all you ladies in towels!"

"Perhaps you should go with Eternal Swordsman, Lloyd. It commands the most power, and is the achievement for which you are most famous." Raine said this all coolly, having remained as impassive as Regal the entire time.

"Okay," said Lloyd, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "So, just tell your boss, whoever he is, that Lloyd Irving, the Eternal Swordsman, tells him that if he doesn't stop he will incur the full wrath of the Eight Saviors. Alright?"

Lehrow nodded. He looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or not. After all, despite his captor being humiliated, he was still captor.

Lloyd sighed again and inhaled deeply through his nose. "Well, I guess the reunion is cancelled. This is much more pressing for me. I'd tell you guys to stay behind, but…I guess you'd just tell me that I was trying to hog all the fun, right?"

"Hey!" laughed Sheena affectionately, ruffling Lloyd's hair. "Lloyd finally took a hint!"

Lloyd just sighed and gave her his puppy dog eyes. His hair had been totally defaced. "Sorry," she conceded with a laugh.

"Where to now?" asked Regal. "We could go up to Flanoir and wait them out, but they might be spooked and change the location of the experiment. That would get us no where. I suggest we head to Altamira and use the extensive records at the Lezareno Company to find out all we can about the Sybak Magitechnology Development Section that preceded our target. Perhaps we can still find those who have memberships in both, or suspicious transfers of gald. Those might simply be donations to the group that they nurtured. It could lead us to find necessary information about the Tethe'allan Superiority Group."

"Yeah," confirmed Lloyd. "I agree. These guys sound a bit too much like Desians for my tastes. What bugs me is that most of them probably don't even know anyone from Sylvarant. After all, it's only been a few years since they merged. Let's head to Altamira."

"Wait, what about me?" begged Lehrow. "What's going to happen? Are you going to bring me along?"

"Here," said Regal, unslinging his pack and dropping it next to the desperate researcher. "There's enough food in there to last a week or two. You seemed confident that your friends in this group would come and find you. You better hope you were right." He made as if to walk back to his Rheaird, but turned on an afterthought. "Also, I wouldn't contemplate any kind of escape; I definitely broke at least three of your ribs. Come on everyone." He unloaded everyone's wing packs from the back of his Rheaird. Lloyd went to unload and board his. The others followed.

As Lloyd mounted his craft and began to lift off, he heard Colette whisper to Regal, "We're not really going to leave him like this, are we?" Regal shook his head.

"I'll come back in a few days, and take him to Sybak if his friends haven't picked him up. I just thought it might be good for Lehrow to have a little time alone to think about his life."

And so Lloyd felt a grim satisfaction as he took off, on an adventure with his friends again. The sun seemed to burn dimmer, and cooler than before, as they weaved through the swirling eddies of air, above the tumultuous waves, to the far off sunny beaches of Altamira.

Genis' edged his Rheaird up next to Lloyd's, and yelled over the rapid air currents, "I still want to hear the Peeping Tom story!"

Lloyd groaned, bent his head, and accelerated away.

**Well, this chapter was considerably shorter. I don't have much to say, other than REVIEW! I have another story that I'm writing that I think is boring, but I'm getting more reviews for it on hiatus than I am for this now!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, quick question. Are gels eaten, or broken open and smeared on wounds. The latter would make more sense to reduce pain and make the character heal faster, but if you don't eat them, why do they have flavors?**

--

The sun was setting by the time the party neared Altamira. Its orange glow warmed their backs slightly, but with the chill of the wind whipping by, its light felt paltry and weak. The choppy waves beneath them were a constant reminder to stay alert and focused. A crash would not be pleasant now.

Finally, as the last vestiges of the sun were sinking over the watery horizon, Lloyd spotted the sparkling tower of Altamira glittering in the distance. It was a matter of minutes before they all touched down.

They barely snuck in before the workers closed off Altamira's entrance to begin the festivities of nightlife. Of course, everyone in Altamira knew Regal, if not Lloyd, so the gates would easily open, but avoiding attention and spectacle was important now. They had two months to find out everything they could about the Tethe'allan Superiority Group, and stop their next experiment, and if everyone was wondering what the eight of them were doing reunited, all researching some unknown topic, they might be slowed down considerably. Also, if their reunion, or what they were looking for got out to all of the new newspapers that had opened up, everyone in the Tethe'allan Superiority Group would know exactly what they were up to.

"Well," said Lloyd stretching, "We should get right to work." His serious demeanor was ruined, due to a large yawn as he finished his sentence. The intense heat at noon had taken a lot out of him. Glancing around, he could see that the same was true for the other members of the party. Only Regal remained as calm and stoic as ever.

"Sorry, bud," replied Zelos. "But I think we're all too tired to get anything done tonight." He scratched the back of his neck tiredly. "Also," he continued, as Raine opened her mouth to protest, "The elemental railway closed an hour ago. Unless the Lezareno Company keeps its records at the casino, we're out of luck."

"For once, I agree with Zelos," added Sheena. "I think fighting in such heat earlier has completely drained me. I'd be asleep after just a few minutes of looking through boring records of financial transactions, and official sanctions and stuff."

"Then I suggest we retire for the night," said Regal expressionlessly. "I, for one, have an open invitation for however many rooms I want at the hotel. I'm sure that our fame would get us however many we need."

"Well, then, let's do that instead." Lloyd slumped his shoulders as he replied. It looked so much like his stance the first time they had been at the Triet Ruins that Genis had to suppress a few giggles.

They sleepily trudged up the stairs, through the glass doors, and onto the soft carpets of the Altamira hotel. Regal rung the bell at the front desk, and was quickly met with four secretaries, appearing almost out of thin air. They all looked up at Regal with the most admiration and dutiful love possible. They would probably throw themselves off a cliff if Regal asked, just so that he could have a softer landing. They waited eagerly to instantly satisfy any word that emerged from his mouth.

"I would like an empty room for my companions and myself. We will be staying here for one to two months. There are eight of us total."

"The master suite is open!" blurted out the first maid.

"But no one important is staying on the third floor!" volunteered the second.

Regal glanced over his shoulder to the rest of the party. "The master suite has six individual beds, one couch, and a large cushion that could easily become a bed. Is this suitable?"

Everyone looked around at each other, already silently deciding who wouldn't get a bed. "That sounds fine," said Raine, choosing for the entire party.

Regal turned back to the maids and nodded. "That will be suitable. We will not require room service."

"Are you sure you don't want us to move more beds to the suite?" asked the third maid.

"I'm sure the gentleman on the third floor won't be using his bed, he usually doesn't return until early in the morning!" exclaimed the fourth. Regal silenced the two of them with a stern glare, then turned to the elevator and strode swiftly in. Everyone else followed.

As soon as the doors closed, sliding silently on greased rollers, Zelos clapped Regal on the back. "Wow, bud, you're almost as popular as I am with the ladies! It's such a shame you're far too unselfish to think of having a little fun every now and again!" Regal rolled his eyes.

"I did not ask for this. I believe I gained their admiration because of my actions in reuniting the worlds, and my status as President of the Lezareno Company, in addition to the wealth it brings."

"Plus this cute mug you got here!" added Zelos, playfully batting Regal's cheek. Regal gave him a look that could sour milk, but Zelos just chuckled.

The elevator swished to a stop on the new sixth floor, and everyone emerged. The suite took up the entire floor, so they were in it as soon as they got out. They were in the welcoming room, which contained the couch and the large cushion. The couch was luxuriously smooth and velvety, and was easily large enough to seat six of them, despite the arrangement of pillows suggesting it was for three. Its royal purple was even deeper than Sheena's robes.

The cushion was a pink akin to Zelos' clothes, and was draped lazily over a half sphere of wood, making it an effective and probably comfortable seat. Still, it could be removed from the seat, and was easily long and thick enough to make an effective bed for any of them, other than possibly Regal.

Three of the walls were deep red, with intricate patterns of gold wrapping around the edges. The other was a massive window facing the rest of the city. A solid mahogany door stood out directly opposite the entrance to the elevator.

"Well," said Raine, pacing around the elevator and looking out the massive glass window. "At least whoever has to sleep on the couch gets a nice view of the stars."

"Or the casino," laughed Zelos. As he spoke, hundreds of blinking, flashing, blaring lights appeared over the horizon. Soon, a cacophony of countless jingles, clanks, and dings followed.

"It's not quite as much fun when you're not there," said Zelos reflectively. "Though tonight, I'm a bit too tired anyway." A few people raised their eyebrows in surprise.

Raine exhaled. "Let's get right down to it. Who is sleeping on the couch, and who is sleeping on the cushion?" There was a brief silence as everyone sized up just how annoying they would be. Finally, Sheena volunteered herself. "I guess I can take the couch. Part of my training was intense meditation, which can be used anywhere, and it'll be almost the same as sleep. I was never particularly good at it, but I'll still have less trouble than anyone else."

"Ooooh! Ooooh!" yelled Zelos, jumping up and down, his hand raised. "I'll take the cushion! Mmm…just you and me, Sheena, in a room, all by ourselves…and we have all night!" He stared off into space dreamily.

"I'm not sleeping in the same room as the perv," said Sheena with surprising vehemence. Zelos looked slightly hurt, but like he had been expecting it at the same time.

"Will anyone volunteer for the cushion?" asked Regal. "I would, but I'm too tall to fit."

They all looked around at each other dubiously. "I'll do it," ventured Lloyd. "I trust you with my life, Zelos, but I'm not sure I trust you to spend a night alone with Sheena. Besides, Dirk always told me I could fall asleep on a bed of nails in the daylight, so a cushion by a casino should easy."

Sheena blushed slightly at the prospect. "Thanks, Lloyd, I'll feel much safer with you than with Zelos." Zelos stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

He was soon distracted as Genis offered, "I could cook a small shortcake to share before bed! Anyone interested?"

"Mmmm…" sighed Presea. "I haven't had your cooking in a long time, Genis. I think I'd like that."

"Ok!" exclaimed Genis. "I've got everything…but it might be better with some strawberries. Does anywhere in Altamira sell strawberries after nightfall?" He looked hopefully at Regal.

Regal shook his head solemnly. "I'm afraid I'm too busy to be acquainted with Altamira by day, let alone by night." Everyone looked at Presea next, but she just shook her head and shrugged.

"I think the bar at the casino has some drink with strawberries in it…they might have some fresh ones we can buy." Everyone looked at Zelos, not at all surprised that he knew that fact. "What?" he asked. "Don't act like I spend _all _my time at bars and clubs."

"Anyway," continued Raine. "I think now would be a good time to start cooking. I don't think any of us are eager to stay awake all night, considering we will be spending all of tomorrow reading. I'll fetch the strawberries; everyone else can get started on the cake."

"Raine," began Zelos, "I don't know if it's a good idea for a woman to go out to the bars alone at…"

"Honestly, Zelos," she interrupted, strutting into the elevator, "I think I can defend myself by now." The doors clicked shut. Zelos shrugged.

"I was actually more worried about the men in the bar, then I was about her, but she can see what she wants to." Genis laughed nervously.

"Perhaps those who are baking should go to the kitchen, and the rest should choose a bed. I plan on assisting Genis where necessary." He motioned for Genis to follow him into the kitchen, where they both went.

"Oooh!" Colette burst. "I want to pick a nice bed! Let's go Presea!" She excitedly skipped out of the room, leading Presea by the hand. Presea contained her silly smile as Colette pulled her along.

The door had barely closed when Zelos cocked his eyebrows suggestively. "Well, if I can't be in your room, I guess I'll just have to be in with them!" He slithered away to follow them.

This left Lloyd and Sheena alone in the entrance room. She gave Lloyd a subdued smile. "Thanks again. I didn't want to have to spend the night alone with the per…Zelos." She sighed slightly as she corrected herself.

Lloyd felt a little concern. If what Zelos had been telling him earlier that day was the truth, than perhaps he had changed, and Sheena was being unnecessarily cruel. "I think…that maybe Zelos has changed," said Lloyd. "He was telling me earlier today that he was different…and I'd like to believe him. Then again, he was flirting with all of you as always, but I think that is just part of his personality."

"Maybe," mused Sheena, a hand to her chin. "Still, I'd rather wait to see the evidence of this change before I let him spend a night with me."

"Well, I have no problem sleeping with only you. After all, it was just the two of us most of the time we were out destroying exspheres."

Sheena blushed a little. "Well, yeah, but…but don't you think it's different in when there are four strong walls separating us from everyone else."

"Different from hundreds of unsettled miles, like on the exsphere destruction journey?" asked Lloyd skeptically.

"Well…well…yeah!" she cried. "Because, with walls, it feels like we're voluntarily…separating everyone else from…the two of us." She was blushing madly as she stumbled over the last couple words.

"A little bit," agreed Lloyd, looking around the room, still slightly confused over Sheena's odd behavior. "But still think we had more privacy out in the wilderness."

"But not as much comfort!" added Sheena. She collapsed backwards onto the large purple couch, arching her back as she adjusted into the soft inviting material. Lloyd laughed and fell backwards onto his cushion. It was harder than he expected, not nearly as soft as he imagined the couch to be, but it was certainly better than a thin sleeping mat and a blanket or two.

Lloyd reflected, "It's much warmer in here too. I don't think we'll be nearly as cold as we were up in Flanoir."

Sheena groaned loudly. "Don't ever remind me of that night. I would pay to stay in the inn even if it were ten times as much as it costs now."

Lloyd laughed again. "By dawn, you were almost laying on top of me."

Sheena blushed furiously. "Well I was asleep! It was cold! I was just trying to find a source of hear nearby! It's not my fault…it…happened to be you." Her face was as red as Efreet's as she justified herself.

Lloyd just kept on laughing, until Sheena leapt up off the couch, strode across the room, and smacked him in the forehead. "Oww…" he said, gingerly rubbing it.

"Lloyd! Sheena!" piped up Genis cheerfully, entering the room with a stack of thin bluish sheets and blankets. "Regal found the extra blankets in one of the cupboards in the kitchen!" He deposited enough for everyone in the entire party on each of their respective sleeping areas. "That should be enough!" he said with a grin. Lloyd looked back with one eyebrow raised.

Genis wiped his brow with one hand. "Maybe it's just because I've been near the oven, but it seems really hot in this place. Does it have one of those Automatic Heater things?"

"I think there's one over by the window," answered Sheena, "And feel free to turn it down a notch. I've endured enough heat today."

Genis strode over to the window, where he quickly located the heater's controls, and, after a few unsuccessful attempts, managed to turn the heat down a little. "There!" he confirmed. "Now it should get cooler…Hey look! Raine is coming back."

Lloyd and Sheena sidled up to him. There was indeed a woman with silvery-blue hair marching out of the casino, a staff in one hand, a small bag, presumably full of strawberries, in the other. "Hmmm…" pondered Sheena. "I hope nothing went wrong…She seems to walking quite a bit faster than everyone around her. Maybe she's…cold…or something."

Genis looked up to Sheena, concerned. "I hope everything is alright."

"Well," continued Sheena, "At least she's not injured. Her walk is tight and brisk, which is hard to pull off with an injury. Also, she could easily heal herself."

"Yeah!" Genis agreed, trying to sound enthusiastic, though a note of worry crept into his voice. A couple minutes later, they saw her get on and off the Elemental Railway, a minute more and she had entered the building, and thirty anxious seconds the elevator doors swooshed open, to reveal a vision of fury gripping a bag of strawberries. The entire front of her robe was soaked with alcohol of all kinds, and an ominous spattering of blood. Some dried blood lingered on her staff as well, and she was gripping the paper bag of strawberries so tight that her fingers had pierced through it, creating makeshift handles.

"Are you okay?" blurted Genis, hands instinctively jumping to his throat.

"I am!" she roared, "But I assure you, those idiotic drunkards at the bar are not!"

She forcefully shoved the bag of strawberries against Genis' chest, almost knocking him over. "No decency whatsoever," she muttered, mostly to herself.

"What happened?" asked Lloyd as Genis quickly scurried away to the kitchen to make use of the strawberries, and avoid his angry sister. Zelos poked his head in quizzically. With one look he came in with an arrogant expression on his face. With a roll of his eyes, he silently bragged to everyone, _"Told you so!" _

"Well," she huffed, as Genis returned with Regal, and Colette and Presea slowly and confusedly emerged. "I merely walked up to the bar to ask the owner if he had any berries he could sell me, when a man on my right made a particularly rude comment. I knew he was far more intoxicated than anyone should ever be, so I ignored it. The owner returned, but as I was distracted paying, the drunk next to me did something _most _ dishonorable." For a second Lloyd was going to ask what he had done, but he decided against it. He didn't need to know, and would rather not risk whatever consequences might come from asking. "I'll admit I yelped then grabbed my staff and dealt him a sharp rap on the head, just enough to knock him out. He collapsed, but a few of his friends tried to grab the staff from my hands. I quickly beat them off, though I broke one of their noses, which covered me in this," she gestured disgustedly to the blood all over her robe, "but by that time, people were too drunk and angry to care who they were fighting. I grabbed the strawberries and left swiftly, trying to avoid being caught in an all out brawl. I escaped, but was drenched in quite a bit of alcohol on the way." She snorted.

"Raine," cooed Zelos, soothingly. "You shouldn't be so mad at them. Not all men are as adept at resisting temptation as the Great Zelos is." Raine snorted again.

"Whatever you may say Zelos, I still cannot wear this robe into the middle of Lezareno tomorrow. It's far too dirty, and sweaty, and soaked in alcohol. I'll have to wear my formal outfit."

"Hmmm…" reflected Zelos. "I think the formal outfit would be far too hot. You're better off wearing your swimsuit. Oooh! Or maybe your adorable 'Maiden' one."

"Zelos," snapped Raine, "I've had enough of philandering men for tonight. If I were you, I'd stop provoking a beating."

Zelos glanced quickly at the blood drying on Raine's staff and swiftly nodded his head.

"So…" laughed Genis nervously. "Maybe I should go get started on the cake!" He scuttled out of the room, Regal trailing behind.

"Well," said Raine. "I need to get all of this alcohol off, which calls for a long shower. I would not recommend disturbing me while I'm in it." She was dead serious.

"We should get back to our room, Colette," said Presea sleepily. "It seems we will be staying here for a while, so it would be expedient to unpack all of our luggage."

Lloyd could see that although Presea's personality had changed, her vocabulary remained unchanged. They left the room though not nearly as energetically as last time. "Well," said Zelos. "I guess I'll leave you two…alone…" he snickered and waltzed out of the room. Lloyd was a bit confused, but Sheena blushed, so Zelos' jibe had accomplished what was intended.

Lloyd and Sheena unpacked their luggage as well. Lloyd didn't have much. He didn't carry any other swords, as Flamberge and Vorpal were unbreakable, and didn't need any care. He still packed the old Golden Armor he got from Koton, but now found it too heavy, and hard to maneuver. He usually wore something much weaker, but easier to move in, like leather.

Lloyd sighed as he picked his way through his pack. There was nothing that really needed to be unpacked. He pulled his other costumes out. If he ever needed to go to a costume party, then he might as well not have his suit wrinkled. Other than that, he had nothing to unpack. He glanced over to Sheena, who seemed to bear a similar expression of distaste on her face.

"You'd think that after all the stuff we acquired on our travels, we would have something of ordinary importance, that we need every night," she said, tossing aside a small aqua quartz. "But no, it's all practical, and useful. Nothing sentimental."

Lloyd agreed with her, and dejectedly heaved the rest of his bag into a corner of the room. He wasn't planning on doing any battling any time soon, so he wouldn't need anything in the bag.

"So," asked Sheena idly, "What on earth do you think that…death ray…thing…the Tethe'allan Superiority Group has going on is?"

"Well…" replied Lloyd, scratching his chin contemplatively, "Do you remember how the spell Flame Lance was mostly red, but the inside was so hot that it was white?"

Sheena nodded slowly, wondering where he was going with this. "I wonder…if somehow they have a really powerful creature tied up somewhere that can make a Flame Lance that strong."

"But Lloyd," questioned Sheena, scratching the back of her head then removing the bow keeping all of her hair in a bun, letting it cascade around her shoulders. "The beam came from the sun…remember?"

"Maybe they've got the beast chained up on the sun!" exclaimed Lloyd. Things were snapping together quickly in his mind. Everything made sense. An expression of wonder and bewilderment slowly crossed his face.

"Lloyd…" giggled Sheena uncharacteristically. "How would a bunch of scientists put a gigantic monster that could rain death by fire from above, onto the sun? Or, a better question, why would they put him on the sun in the first place?"

"Oh…" realized Lloyd. Mental connections snapped like a frayed rope. "Well, it was a good suggestion."

Sheena laughed again, though let her expression quickly become serious. "Maybe they've got some sort of…Summon Spirit? Yeah…a Summon Spirit of the Sun!" Lloyd leapt to his feet.

"Sheena!" he exclaimed. "That's brilliant! It makes perfect sense. A summon spirit would have the power to expel their element all the way to earth. If one of them has formed a pact with them, then they could harness the power of the sun!"

Sheena looked up at him, lost in thought and wonder. "Well…" she replied, clearly still thinking about their next course of action. "If we need to know about summon spirits, the best source to turn to would be one of them." She stood up slowly, took a deep breath, and crossed her arms over her face. "Oh father of all that walks, one who came before all…I summon thee…Come, Origin!" The lights in the room flickered and faded, temporarily engulfing the two of them in a short period of completely horrifying darkness.

The darkness was brief; however, as soon a six limbed humanoid appeared in front of them. His glow extinguished not only the darkness brought about by his summoning, but lit up the last dark vestiges of the room as well.

"What is required of me, Master Sheena?" he asked, his voice so low it seemed to come from everywhere at once. Heads popped out of doors all around them, to see what the sudden darkness then immediate light was.

"Origin," commanded Sheena, using her most imperious voice, "We need some information on Summon Spirits. Today we witnessed a large beam, similar to the spell Flame Lance, and we believe that it may have been generated by a Summon Spirit. Who is the Summon Spirit of the Sun?"

Origin shook his head. "There is no life on the sun, and thusly no summon spirits to protect it. The sun is nothing but a raging ball of fire and light…"

"Efreet and Aska!" exclaimed Lloyd, interrupting the father of all creation. "They're the Summon Spirits of fire and light! They must have supplied the beam. But why?"

Origin shook his head again. "Efreet and Aska control only the fire mana and light mana that exists on the earth. The sun is not tied to any being or summon. It is pure, mindless mana, continuously reacting with its self and fueling more heat, fire and light that allow this planet to exist."

"Then…what was that spell?" asked Sheena, scratching her head again.

Origin inhaled deeply, and with infinite patience, shook his head yet again. "As I have said twice, the sun is pure mana, and nothing else. There is nothing to shape that mana into a spell. While I admit that the mana that bludgeoned itself into the field near Yggdrasil had an effect similar to a Flame Lance, that mana was pure, and not shaped into any kind of spell. Concentrated, but unbound mana can be as destructive as diluted, but controlled mana in the form of a spell."

"But why on earth is this mana suddenly ripping itself away from the sun and hurling itself at Symphonia right when the Tethe'allan Superiority Group wants it?" demanded Sheena, more of herself than of Origin.

"To that, I have no guesses," he replied stoically. There were a few moments of silence, as Sheena bit her lip.

"Very well," she said, regaining her formal summoning voice. "You may return to your seal, Origin." Origin nodded, and with a flash of light, he was gone. There were a few more moments of silence.

"Dang it," whispered Sheena. "We still don't know anything." Everyone looked around at each other, but Sheena was right, and there was nothing to say.

Suddenly, a distraction came up, in the form of a small ding from the kitchen. "Oh!" Genis jumped up. "The cake is done. Now all we need is to frost it. Anyone want to help?" An impractical amount of people volunteered. There was no way a small cake would need that many people to frost it, but most people just needed an excuse to get out of the room full of unanswered questions.

Sheena flopped backwards onto her couch. "Lloyd," she asked. "Sorry to bother you…but can you bring me a piece of cake out here?" She looked absolutely drained from the difficult day, in addition to just summoning an extremely powerful Summon Spirit. Lloyd went to the kitchen to comply. The cake was still hot, and though some of the strawberries had a faint taste of alcohol, they were perfect.

After the cake, things quieted down impossibly quickly. Regal stated that though he had stayed up to help make the cake, he was loathe to break his normal sleeping schedule, so he would go to sleep now, and would not like to be disturbed. Raine had finished her shower and said about the same thing. They were in two separate rooms that were on either side of Colette and Presea's room, so they had no choice but to quiet down. Zelos was in with Regal, and even he didn't want to risk waking him up for a midnight outing. Genis slept in a room with Raine, and was tired from the heat exhaustion he had experienced earlier that day. Sheena was asleep the moment she finished her cake, leaving Lloyd the only one up.

The casino posed a bit of a problem, but it was still only a matter of time until he slowly drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**So, just to let you know, I don't think that I'm going to do all that much romance. There will be a little between Genis and Presea (Because they're so cute…), but I don't think there will be anything else. I only said that Lloyd went off with Sheena in the first chapter, because Colette is, unfortunately not going to be a major character in this story. (Don't worry; I'm not going to kill her or anything)**

**I chose Sheena because she's Lloyd's only other possible love interest. I don't think there'll be any Sheena x Lloyd, but there might be, depending on what reviewers say. Heck, there could even be some Sheena x Zelos.**

--

Lloyd woke refreshed the next morning. The lights and sounds of the casino had barely inhibited his rest. After an hour or two, he had descended into the state of conscious where nothing mattered at all, and sleep followed quickly after.

Lloyd lay in bed for a few minutes, liking not being at all compelled to move, until he decided that even though no one else was forcing him to move, he was going to have a busy day looking through files, and might as well be prepared. He flipped up onto his feet. The sun had begun its slow journey through the skies, and it looked like it was going to be cloudless and beautiful.

"A perfect day to sort through boxes of financial files," muttered Lloyd sarcastically to himself. He glanced around to see if anything had changed since last night. He had slept pretty deeply, and wanted to make sure that the others hadn't left without him. He doubted they would, but it had happened before, so he thought it would be good to check.

No sign of them, or that they had left. He glanced at the couch, and was happy to see that Sheena was still slumbering there. She had a pillow and several blankets covering her head. Lloyd wondered how she was able to breath. Anyway, the casino lights weren't THAT bad. Lloyd stretched, and at a prompting growl from his stomach, made his way to the kitchen.

Genis, Colette, and Presea were all in the kitchen, the latter two sitting at a smaller table in the back, the former slowly and methodically stirring oatmeal burning over a stove. All three of them looked nearly dead. "Hey guys," asked Lloyd. "Did you get a good night's sleep?"

The three of them slowly turned their heads at Lloyd, their eyes blank and vapid. They stared at him a minute, then Colette's head tilted sideways and she fell asleep on Presea's shoulder. Presea sighed slowly and leaned back in her chair, carefully balancing Colette's head on her shoulder.

"Are you kidding?" asked Genis, still meticulously stirring the smoldering oatmeal. "The lights and noises were so loud that I couldn't sleep even with three pillows over my head!" He groaned, hung his head, and wiped his eyes with a spoonful of oatmeal. He snapped back to reality, and quickly realized that his oatmeal was nearly blazing. With a yelp, he grabbed it off the stove and dropped it into the sink.

He covered his face with both hands, rubbing vigorously, trying to rid the sleep from his eyes. "That happened last time, too," he complained to no one in particular. "Maybe I should go try to get some sleep."

"You should, you all look half-dead," agreed Lloyd. "I can cook for us this morning." Genis gave Lloyd a weak smile as thanks, and slowly began to trudge off through the back door to his room. Before he could exit, Zelos staggered in the other side. He looked as tired as the others, but seemed to be more adventurous with his tired limbs. This proved to be a mistake, as he failed to halt his sideways momentum turning into the kitchen and crashed into a counter, collapsing to the ground. He groaned and twitched for a moment, then slowly pushed himself up.

"I'm fine…I'm alright…" he belched groggily. "But boy…those bright casino lights are a lot more fun when you're down there with them…"

"Even you couldn't sleep?" questioned Lloyd, surprised.

"Like I said…" he moaned, finally pushing himself upright. "I haven't been in a while…plus when I did come…I slept in the day." He attempted to run a hand through his long bright red hair, but it got caught half-way, and apparently, no amount of tugging could get it free. Lloyd silently laughed at his struggle as he prepared the ingredients for new oatmeal. Of course, his wouldn't be as good as Genis' but it would certainly be a lot better than that of a tired Genis.

"Say, Lloyd," asked Zelos, finally pulling his hand out of his hair, with a few crimson strands stuck to it. "You know that they have room service. You don't have to cook. Their breakfast is going to be a hundred million times better than yours could ever be. No offense," he added quickly, and insincerely.

"Okay," replied Lloyd. "I think all of you would prefer their food to mine, and I would rather not face a roomful of tired people. As if to emphasize his point, Raine reeled into the room in a manner similar to Zelos, though she managed to keep her footing, and simply swore at the offending counter, clutching her head with one hand.

"Here," Zelos motioned to a little wooden box, then began to thoroughly shake out every part of his body. Confused, Lloyd opened it to find a thin metal cord. Dubiously, he yanked on it just once. Zelos stopped his vibrations momentarily. "Lloyd," he admonished, walking over to the box. "If you want them, to pay attention, you've got to be more forward. Zelos firmly grasped the cord, and began yanking on it and shaking it like it had just tried to steal one of his hunnies. Far below, Lloyd could faintly hear a bell tinkling furiously.

Zelos stretched again, and tried to speak through a large incoming yawn. "They should be up in…a…" he gave up and finished his enormous yawn. "A minute," he completed. He wiped his eyes and lumbered back to his room. "Wake me again when the food is here," he mumbled.

"Zelos," huffed Raine, "We won't be able to get anything done if we all go back to sleep now." Zelos just blearily nodded his head and ignored her. She snorted, but let him pass. "Well, even though I'm just as tired as everyone else, I, at least will try to get some research done." She quickly spun around and slammed her head into an open cabinet door. Swearing loudly, she slammed it shut, and tried to march out of the room. She knocked the side of her hip on the counter, and almost took a spill.

"Professor," laughed Lloyd, "I don't think you'll be able to get much research done when you're this tired. Plus, none of us know where to look until Regal wakes up."

Raine glared at him furiously, and huffed again. "Fine," she spat, "But Regal better be up soon. Exhaustion is no excuse for laziness."

She straightened up and strode out of the room, though she collapsed into her bed once she reached her room at the other end of the hall. Lloyd was left alone in the kitchen, where he spent a few minutes cleaning up the two charred corpses of Genis' oatmeal attempts. He stopped when he heard a knock on the elevator door.

Carefully tiptoeing past a still slumbering Sheena, Lloyd pressed a button on the side of the elevator, revealing a nondescript maid. She had her head cast down as a sign of respect. "You rang, sir?" she asked timidly.

"Oh…yes, yes we did. Um…can you…get me and my seven friends breakfast?" asked Lloyd, hopeful that Zelos was right, and he wasn't acting like an arrogant jerk by commanding the hotel to make him breakfast.

"Yes," squeaked the maid. "For breakfast, the options are scrambled eggs, which can be made with ham, bacon, or neither, or pancakes, which can include chocolate chips, blueberries, raspberries…"

Sheena was starting to moan and stir. Not wanting to wake her, knowing she'd be just as tired as the rest, Lloyd hastily interrupted the maid in an undertone. "I'm sorry…I don't know what my friends want, and I don't think they'd really care. Can…can you just get me a little bit of everything?"

"Like…a house special?" asked the maid, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah!" whispered Lloyd. "Get me eight of those! And, I'm sorry to be rude…but can you hurry? Everyone else is really tired, and I don't want them to be really hungry too."

The maid nodded energetically then withdrew a small key, which she inserted into a keyhole in the elevator. Lloyd presumed that the key allowed her to descend to the kitchens, because she pressed the basement level, and the doors whooshed closed, almost glancing Lloyd's nose. He crept back out of the room, still trying not to wake up Sheena, though as he left, he swore he heard her murmur, "Thanks, Lloyd," as she shifted positions.

Lloyd finished cleaning up Genis' mess and went to check everyone else was back to sleep. Regal appeared never to have woken up, and was breathing heavily in his deep slumber. Everyone else seemed to be having trouble getting to sleep, until Lloyd accidentally discovered thick, heavy curtains hidden in the back of the storage closet. He went around to every room and systematically hung them all up. Most people were too tired to comment, though Genis let an outraged moan escape his lips, angry that the curtains hadn't been discovered earlier.

It was about a half an hour later when another knock on the elevator door, though this one sounded more like a kick. Confused at the difference in sound, Lloyd pressed the button to admit whoever was in there. The maid was back, though this time she had brought a friend. They each had a massive tray in their hands. The trays were exactly identical, and each one had enough food to easily feed them all. There were plenty of poached eggs, piles of pancakes, burdens of bacon, silos of sausages, and alliterative amounts of apple pie.

Lloyd was flabbergasted by all of this food, but quickly and quietly directed them to the kitchen. They set the food down on the counters, where the trays teetered haphazardly off the sides. They then tiptoed back to the elevator.

"Wait!" hissed Lloyd, still trying to let everyone sleep. "Don't I need to pay for all of this?"

"No," responded the maid knowledgably. "Anyone Mr. Bryant cares to bring include in our invitation to stay for free can also get everything free. Besides," she added, as she inserted the small key to descend to the kitchens, almost as an afterthought, "You would normally pay after we bring the other six specials."

Lloyd was saved the trouble of waking up each sleeping individual the loud "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" he uttered upon discovering exactly how much food he had ordered.

Still, the lethargic party (excluding Sheena and Genis) agreed that it was time to ignore their fatigue, and get ready to work. After finishing barely two of the eight ordered specials, the group was out on the street.

Sheena glared maliciously at the sun, one hand shielding her eyes. Zelos groaned, stretched his back, and then, in a sudden epiphany straightened up. "I know!" he exclaimed, and turned around, trying to reach his backpack. Unfortunately, his backpack was on his other shoulder, sending him into an impossible game of cat and mouse, rather like a dog chasing its own tail. He finally realized that his approach wasn't going to work, and dropped his backpack to the ground. He ducked down and retrieved a small orange partially opaque bottle. Trying to squint through it, he wrenched off the lid and poured out two small bluish pills.

"Zelos, those pills don't look very safe, I wouldn't…" began Raine, but before she could finish, Zelos popped them both into his mouth and swallowed them in a single gulp. Raine let out an angry sigh. "Well, seeing you've already taken them, would you mind telling us what they are, or where you got them?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah! The doctor in Flanoir will give them out for a little extra…if you have a good excuse. And don't worry! There's enough for everyone!"He reached over and grabbed Genis' arm, flipped his hand palm up and deposited two pills inside. Genis looked appalled at having been chosen first, and looked indecisive as to whether to swallow the pills or deposit them in a nearby trashcan.

"Genis, don't take those until you know what they are. Zelos, you still haven't answered my first question." Raine stood with her arms crossed, firm and immovable, one foot in front of the other, as Zelos began distributing them to everyone else.

"Don't worry, my beauty, they're just caffeine pills! I told the doctor I'd need them for all my late night…meetings…with…the king…and all that, so I got them cheap. Don't worry! They won't hurt you!" Raine looked slightly taken aback, and straightened up, looking around. "Don't tell me you were planning on reading boxes and boxes of boring after having no sleep last night! It'll only be a matter of time before you find that a box of files makes a surprisingly good pillow…So…Raine, Lloyd, do you want any?"

"Well," Raine stuttered, looking amazingly uncertain. "I suppose we are pretty tired…and caffeine would temporarily mollify the situation…" Playing the Devil's Advocate, Zelos grabbed Raine's wrist and dropped in two pills, then leaned back against the wall.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, Zelos still smirking, Raine's eyes darting between the pills and the rest of the party. "I don't think Zelos would give us anything that would hurt us…would he?" questioned Colette gullibly. The silence resumed, until in one swift and anomalous movement, Raine whipped her hand to her face and swallowed both pills, then winced heavily.

"Oh…I'm going to regret that…" she moaned, as Zelos slapped her on the back congenially. Satisfied they had been good enough for Raine, everyone else but Regal popped the little pills into their mouths. Genis and Colette both had a little trouble swallowing them without a glass of water, but Genis just cast a simplified Aqua Edge above his and Colette's mouths.

"I don't need these," said Regal, as impassive as ever. "I have trained myself both to survive on as little sleep as possible, and to sleep with many outer distractions."

"Well, you certainly sleep deeply," laughed Zelos. "You snored as loud as a bear last night." Regal swiftly slapped the back of Zelos' head, nearly sending him toppling over. "What…" groaned Zelos. "It's true…"

"Lloyd," asked Genis, "You haven't had any either. Don't you want any?" Lloyd shrugged.

"I don't really need any, I'm not very tired," he replied. Everyone rolled their eyes. "I don't know about anyone else, but I got a good sleep last night!" Lloyd exclaimed, slightly indignant.

"I guess what Dirk said was true," said Sheena. "If he can fall asleep there, he can fall asleep anywhere."

"Come," said Regal. "Let's all head over to the Elemental Railway. It's only a five minute walk from here."

It was an interesting five minute walk. Altamira was just beginning to wake up; a few vendors had begun to set up shop, but the streets were largely unoccupied. After thirty seconds or so Colette began to skip and hum a drinking tune she had heard being sung in one of the bars. After another twenty seconds, Genis violently exploded that they were all walking too slow and began to jog circles around the group. The caffeine had evidently made Raine even more irascible, as she immediately began to yell at him that he was being immature, and waking people up. In another twenty seconds she had begun to chase him around, making just as much noise herself. Presea giggled and joined in the fun. In another minute or so, Sheena sighed and told them all that they were playing tag all wrong, and that the key was getting to a place where the person who was it couldn't touch you. She then lived up to her "Acrobat" title and proceeded to jump onto a hanging sign, then run along a small ledge on the second story of the building, jumping on top of a market stall when the ledge ended. "See?" she asked them. "That's how you play tag!"

Lloyd, Regal, and Zelos all walked calmly behind, amused and slightly bewildered at the uncharacteristic antics of their companions. "Huh," shrugged Zelos. "I guess none of them know how to handle their caffeine."

Two minutes fifty seconds later, they all arrived at the elemental railway. "All right," said Lloyd, "Let's get eight tickets for Lezareno Company!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," said Regal, quickly but firmly.

"What?" asked Colette. "Why? We want to help!"

"There are two reasons," Regal justified. "The first is that any documents containing information we need will be completely classified, and even as president, it will be technically illegal for me to look at them, considering I'm not interested in donating to their group. If I am caught, I could probably talk my way out of it relatively easily. If you are caught, you will be arrested, and go to jail for a long time."

"Come on!" laughed Zelos. "You can't have fun without a little risk!"

"Secondly," continued Regal, as if he had never been interrupted at all, "the Lezareno records are printed by a large machine designed specifically for that purpose. The machine uses special paper, holepunchers, and a language called binary that I'm fairly confident none of you would understand. Unless any of you are interested in learning binary by yourselves in less than two months, I don't think you can help me."

Zelos' face fell slightly. "Are you sure we can't help?" asked Lloyd earnestly. Regal simply nodded. "And there's nothing else you need us to do?"

Regal looked at him for a moment, and admitted, "Perhaps when I have looked through some records, I can tell you something to investigate, but for now, you can all relax."

Genis let out whoop of joy that startled off a flock of nearby seagulls. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to the amusement park! I've heard they've got a new ride that spins so fast that you stick to the walls!"

"Ughhh…" moaned Raine. "I feel sick just thinking about it…"

"That sounds fun!" cried Presea. "I'll come too!"

Genis flushed slightly, but the sun's heat disguised it, and to his credit, he quickly replied, "Yeah, let's go!" The two of them dashed off to the elevator down to the railway.

"I think I'll head to the beach," stated Sheena contemplatively. "I haven't swum for a while, so it should be fun."

"Hmmmm…" Zelos thought aloud, rubbing his chin suggestively. "Maybe I'll come along!" Sheena looked up to the skies, and silently shook her fists.

"I'll come too!" volunteered Lloyd. "I'd really love to snorkel some right now."

Raine glanced around uneasily between the amusement park in the distance and the nearby beach, torn between two evils. "Uhhhh…" she thought for a moment. "Maybe I'll just go back to the apartment, and do…some reading."

"I'll come too," said Colette with a bad imitation of severity. "I wouldn't want you to get lonely up there."

"Well, then, let us part ways," said Regal with a nod of his head. "We should all meet back at the apartment for dinner at six'o'clock." With that, he turned and briskly trotted off towards the railway.

"All right, Raine," hummed Colette, "Let's go!" She began to skip back to the apartment, stumbling over the curb, but catching herself before she could fall completely.

"Wait up, Colette," said Lloyd. "My swimsuit is in the hotel, so I'll have to go back. I think the same is true with Zelos and Sheena. We can walk together."

"Actually," corrected Zelos, "I always carry my swimsuit on me. You never know when it might come in handy." Zelos reached into his coat and pulled out a tiny blue cube less than a cubic inch in total volume. He shook it once, and his miniscule swimsuit folded out. "There!" he exclaimed.

Sheena looked a little queasy. "Zelos…Don't you have anything else? Anything?"

Zelos looked at her strangely. "Well…I guess I could skinnydip if you wanted me to Sheena, but I didn't think you'd be into that…" Sheena nearly vomited. "Oh…" laughed Zelos, with a false look of understanding on his face. "You're afraid that if all the other women on the beach see me in such a ravishing and revealing outfit, you'll have more competition. If that's it, then I bet I can find a pair of old shorts or something."

"Sure, Zelos," groaned Sheena. "I don't care what you think my reason is, as long as you don't wear that."

In another fifteen minutes, they were all on the beach. Lloyd had regrettably lost one of his flippers, rendering the other useless, but other than that, everything was intact. They spent a long and fun time on the beach and in the water, vociferous crowds all around them. It was a good time. Some of the adults looked scornfully down at the fully-grown adults playing in the water like children, but Lloyd laughed silently to think how different their behavior would be if they knew who they were looking at. Fortunately, most people recognized his signature red outfit, and not his face. Sheena started out the day extremely hyper from the caffeine pills, and was nearly uncontrollable, like a small child, but after an hour or so, she began to calm down. Zelos behaved himself so well on the beach that even Sheena had to comment. He made the occasional flirtatious remark to Sheena, but he barely even looked at any other women. There was nothing that could ruin their fun like Zelos running off after some other woman. Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself with what appeared to be ease.

Finally, the sun began to sink in the sky, and they knew that with the ridiculous amount of time the sun usually stood suspended over Altamira, that six must be rapidly approaching. They all emerged from the water, wrinkled, sandy, salty, and laughing madly. It had been a good, relaxing day indeed. The salt-water had even cleaned out some of the cuts Lloyd had received yesterday, though he wished it hadn't. Feeling a sharp pang of hunger stab into his stomach, Lloyd motioned Zelos and Sheena over to one of the food huts by the side.

Sheena sat with Lloyd and Zelos, though she was glaring distastefully at the menu, and over the counter to where a large man was deep-frying everything in reach, occasionally including his fingers. He would then jump, and suck the grease from his fingers furiously. Sheena grimaced. "I can't believe you two really want to eat here."

"What?" asked Lloyd, slightly surprised. "What's wrong with this place?" Sheena rolled her eyes, and looked at Zelos. He looked equally indifferent.

"Must be a guy thing," she muttered, and slipped off to another booth. Zelos shrugged.

"Must be a girl thing," he laughed, and ordered each of them a plate of fish and chips. The greasy and burnt chef began to make it for them. The small bar they sat at had really begun to clear out, most of the people opting for better food elsewhere, off the beach. Besides, the beach would be closing pretty soon, so that the nightlife could begin.

As they ate, little conversation passed between them. Looking over, Lloyd noticed that Zelos was eating very mechanically. He was gazing off to the west, to the sun setting over the ocean. He had acquired a far-away look in his eyes. It reminded Lloyd of something he was curious about. "Say, Zelos," he questioned, snapping Zelos from his reverie, "What were you going to say to me earlier today?" Zelos looked around, apparently startled by this question. "About you not being the same old Zelos?" Lloyd probed. "You seem pretty similar to me!" he laughed.

Zelos laughed too, though not as carelessly as he usually did. "That's kind of what I was going for." He glanced around almost unwillingly and sighed. "Okay…so…Lloyd…" he sighed again, evidently unsure of where to begin. "Well…As you may…Ughh…Okay, screw it, as you know when you met me, I wasn't exactly…a great person. Those girls you saw me hanging around with were the people I actually spent all of my time with…or at least, girls like them. My idea of a good day was one where you got over your hangover quickly, and then got even drunker than the night before. I guess…Well, I occasionally would go to one of the king's courts, or speeches, but I was always that one noble who was causing everyone trouble by snoring in the middle of the king's lecture. In short…I was…totally and completely wasting my life." He blurted out the last sentence with vigor unusual of Zelos.

Lloyd nodded slowly. He knew that Zelos hadn't exactly been a prime example before he joined them, and even after occasionally, but he wasn't aware just how serious it was. "So," Zelos laughed nervously, "Now that we have that established, you come into the story. So, anyway, one day, Sebastian woke me up really early, and I was really mad at him, but then he reminded me that I needed go and speak with the king, in order to arrange the details of what would happen after he died…he was being poisoned remember? Well, anyway, Sebastian also told me that I had told him the night before to wake me up no matter how tired or grumpy I was. I think he made that part up, but I had had a pretty crazy night, so I'm not sure. Anyway, so the king didn't really want to see me, so I just found a couple fangirls and decided to parade around town. Course, then I saw another girl dressed as an angel, and was naturally intrigued, and you know what happened then." He snorted softly. "Well, I wasn't too displeased with joining your party. While I admit that the nights and lack of alcohol slightly displeased me at first, I saw it as a good opportunity to get a few more hunnies, like Sheena, Raine, and hey, maybe Colette, if she woke up. Then again, maybe that's just what I told myself. I knew that I would betray you. It was then that I began to regret joining Cruxis. Even though they would relieve me from my Chosen burden, I really didn't want them to kill you. Of course, I told myself, it was because I just like the girls, but, hey, even you were beginning to grow on me." He laughed again, and there was silence for a minute. Lloyd wanted him to continue. He had never really thought of Zelos' unique perspective as a prospective traitor.

"So anyway, then I led all of you guys into that trap on Mount Fooji." He laughed softly again. "None of you ever even asked what my great plan was to get the Rheairds off the mountain. It was after you rescued Colette that I finally began to understand what true friendship was. You showed me how much friends could care for each other. It was then that I decided that no matter what any of the other sides offered…I would stick with you. It wasn't easy. Yuan nearly discovered me twice…Pronyma was a little more trusting, ironically enough." He paused again. Beach workers were cleaning up the shores, spiked sticks in hand, signaling that the beaches were closing soon. Sheena was still finishing a much healthier looking meal down at another stall.

"Well…" continued Zelos. "I didn't betray you…completely, and from the day we left, I swore I would become the person I became on that journey. So, yeah, I guess you guys wouldn't have thought I had changed. Like I told that elf in Heimdall, flirting is just part of my personality."

"So…you don't waste your life anymore?" asked Lloyd, slightly dubious, but hoping that he was right.

"Except on holidays," laughed Zelos. "You wouldn't believe what the reaction of all of my fans was when I first started to…act a little more responsibly." He chuckled. "I even had a fairly serious girlfriend for a little while…there was crying in the streets when some of my old girls got wind of that."

"You had a girlfriend?" asked Lloyd. He didn't doubt the willingness of any girl to become close to Zelos, more the willingness of Zelos to commit himself in any way to a girl. "How did it work out?" he asked.

Zelos chuckled again. "It didn't. She was a very nice girl, but once she got to know me better, she wanted me to be a little more serious than I usually was. We had a disagreement or two about that, and she left eventually."

"I'm sorry," said Lloyd sincerely. After all the work of changing himself to someone worthy of respect, he still got dumped.

Zelos just shrugged. "I knew it wasn't going to work from the beginning, so it didn't come as much of a blow. Still, I think it was worth it for the experience itself." Zelos glanced around. Some of the clean-up crews were giving them the evil eye, and they suddenly realized that they were the only ones on the beach, other than Sheena a few huts down. "Come on," said Zelos, "We should probably get Sheena and leave. We wouldn't want to be late for whatever important discovery Regal has made." He certainly seemed optimistic.

Sheena had apparently also had some kind of fish, but hers wasn't deep-fried. She looked up when they approached her. "Are you ready to go? I don't think we're allowed to stay much longer anyway." Zelos and Lloyd confirmed this, and the three of them headed back to the apartment.

The caffeine pills were temporarily effective, but now they had worn off, and as they entered the building, Lloyd could see exhaustion beginning to show on Sheena and Zelos' faces. By the time they had reached the elevator, Sheena's shoulders were sagging, her head down. Zelos was doing the exact opposite thing, his shoulders back, head skyward and mouth open. It was a good thing they weren't outside; otherwise something might have fallen in.

As they ascended, Lloyd again noted just how smooth the elevator was. It was like sliding upwards on ice. Even stopping, it glided in so slowly Lloyd could hardly tell when they stopped, until the doors swished open.

No one was in the front room, though it sounded like at least Colette and Raine were in the back, if not anyone else. With a guilty cringe, Lloyd looked at the clock to realize that they were an hour late.

Sheena took a stumbling step and flopped down onto the couch. "Uhhh…I think I'll be able to get to sleep tonight."

"That's what you said last night," chided Zelos.

"Well, yeah," agreed Lloyd, "but tonight I found those curtains." Zelos had to give a small nod of agreement.

Sheena and Zelos were obviously crashing from their caffeine highs, so Lloyd decided to see who else was there by himself. Stepping into the kitchen, he noticed a light in the bedroom on the opposite side. Peering in, he noticed Raine, her face plastered to a book, sound asleep. It was unlike the Professor to fall asleep while reading, but the energy crash must have hit her hard.

Lloyd gently backed out of the kitchen, and began searching for anyone else. He hadn't seen Colette yet, and the theme park should have closed at the same time as the beach. Additionally, it was very unlike Regal to be late, especially for a time he set himself. Deciding to see if the theme park was shutting down, Lloyd carefully picked his way through strewn blankets, pillow, and various kinds of gear, to make it to the balcony. He reached it to find Colette staring reflectively into the sunset.

It took a moment for Lloyd to realize it, but she had her wings out. They blended nearly perfectly with the beautiful sunset. The beautiful colors painting the horizon were those of every night, but this time, they seemed sad, almost mournful. Mournful that the day was over, and that now, new problems were coming. Their colors mixed and combined, until Colette seemed almost just a bystander to this explosion of color around her.

"Hey Colette," greeted Lloyd cheerfully. She gave quite the start, almost jumping off the ground.

"Oh," she said, her hand over her heart, trying to calm it. "I didn't see you there, Lloyd. I'm sorry I reacted so violently."

Lloyd glanced over the horizon. The amusement park was abandoned, except for a few specks scuttling around and cleaning up. The rides were slowing down, and the operator was closing the railway station. "Looks like Genis and Presea will have to be back soon. So…what were you doing out here?"

Colette hummed softly, but slowly. "Just…thinking." She sighed.

Lloyd gave a small nod of approval. "It's calming sometimes, isn't it?"

There was another short silence, just the two of them looking off into the sunset. Colette took a slow, but extremely deep inhalation. "Listen…Lloyd…there's something I need to tell you…" but she was cut off by the greased 'whoosh' of the elevator. Lloyd turned, though Colette didn't. She just winced. Genis and Presea both stepped out of elevator, giggling madly. They seemed to be in the stage of exhaustion where everything, no matter how ridiculous, becomes excessively hilarious. Sheena glared at them through one eye and put a pillow over her head.

"Come on, Sheena!" laughed Genis. "Don't go to sleep already! Stay up! Have some fun!"

Realizing that Sheena was indeed falling asleep, Lloyd decided to intervene. "Just a second, Colette," he said, putting up a finger. Colette sighed and nodded wearily. Lloyd quickly dodged his way around the scattered weapons and armor and made his way into the entrance hall. "Sheena," he said. "You can't fall asleep now; you have to at least wait for Regal."

Sheena just groaned and smothered herself in the pillow even further. "Can we wake her up?" asked Genis eagerly. Presea laughed.

"No," said Lloyd firmly. "She can go to sleep if she wants…but I'll let you write stuff on her once she's asleep." Genis, Presea, and Sheena all leapt off the ground. Two did it in joy, one in fury.

"No!" exclaimed Sheena. "I will throw you out the window if you try." She looked so serious that all three of them glanced inquiringly out the window. It was a long drop onto cement.

Lloyd nodded again and shrugged. "Right, well, at least you're up now." Sheena groaned at her gullibility. Lloyd turned around again. "Hey Colette, what were you going to…" but she was gone. Walking out to the balcony, he glanced around. She was no where to be seen. Lloyd shrugged. She had probably just flown off somewhere.

Walking back into the entrance room, he heard Presea and Genis animatedly discussing all of the new rides at the theme park.

"That was so funny when you got off the Whirling Chakram, Presea! You almost stumbled into the ocean!"

"Not as funny as you on the roller coaster. You screamed louder than I did!"

"I did not! I asked the man behind us, and he said that you screamed much louder!"

"Well that was only because he assumed the high, girly scream to be mine!"

Lloyd entered the room to a furiously blushing Genis, a hysterical Presea, and Zelos, whose face resembled one of someone who just witnessed a very, very low blow.

"Come on, Genis," he said, shaking his head. "Let's go nurse that wounded ego of yours." He motioned for Genis to follow him then headed off to Genis' room. The look on Genis' face as he departed only made Presea laugh even harder, rolling on the ground and gasping for breath.

Lloyd had nothing better to do as long as they were waiting for Regal, so he followed Zelos and Genis out. When they reached the room, Genis unslung his pack and tossed it onto the bed. It made a far larger indentation then either Zelos or Lloyd expected. The mattress sagged more under the bag then under Genis, after he collapsed backwards onto it.

He groaned. "That bag is really heavy. I know that I have to carry around my weapon to be safe, but this is ridiculous!" Zelos and Lloyd glanced confusedly to each other. They each wondered which one of Genis' kendamas would be that heavy. He sat up again. "Maybe I should just leave it behind as long as we're in a place that's fairly safe."

"Genis," asked Lloyd, glancing at the bag, trying to remember if Genis ever fought with any kind of heavy weapon, "I don't remember you having any heavy kendamas. Is this a new one?"

"What?" asked Genis, looking as confused as they were. "I don't fight with…Oh!" Recognition dawned on his face. "That's right! I never told you. I stopped fighting with kendamas a year after we all went our separate ways. I thought they were a little, well, a little childish. Also, they didn't protect me very well if I was alone and had to concentrate on casting a spell, so I switched to this!" He reached back to grab for his bag, but over-extended, and sent his bag toppling over the side of the bed with a loud crash, and an ill-boding crack.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Genis. "I've broken the floor!" Lloyd quickly jumped over the bed to inspect the damage. His extremely heavy bag had not exactly broken the floor, but it had at least cracked the wood.

Zelos laughed, and Genis turned on him. "Zelos! I've just accidentally damaged a place that doesn't belong to me, and they're going to be mad at me, and you're laughing?"

Zelos dabbed at his eyes comically. "Genis," he assured. "If they let Lloyd get away with ordering eight free specials, they're certainly not going to care about a cracked floorboard. Heck, they probably cost about the same." Lloyd glared at him.

Looking slightly relieved, Genis laughed with him and heaved the bag up onto his bed again. As Genis flexed his muscles to pull up the bag, Lloyd noticed his arms for the first time on that trip. Genis' left arm was about average, not exactly weak, but not heavy on muscle either. His right arm however, was layered with muscle. His skin looked so tight that Lloyd was afraid for a second that it might rip as Genis levered up his bag. It was definitely as buff as either of Lloyd's arms, almost nearing Regal's. It was interesting though, that only Genis' right arm was that strong. He was ridiculously unbalanced, leaving Lloyd very curious as to what weapon Genis was going to reveal to them.

Genis opened his pack and heaved out a gigantic metal ball, easily the size of his head. It looked like the kind of thing that they used to attach to convicts. It was unadorned, but for a simple half-ring jutting out from one side. Lloyd was confused just how this would be any kind of weapon for a moment, until Genis also pulled out heavy chain. Each link was easily as thick as one of Lloyd's fingers, and at the end, there was a huge clip with a thick lock on it. All in all, it looked more like some kind of complex construction mechanism than a weapon.

Genis touched the lock at the end of the chain, and with a small burst of purple light, if fell open. He fastened it to the ball, forming a weapon that Lloyd imagined to be quite formidable, more like a morning star than anything else. "See?" asked Genis, gesturing to it. "All I do is swing this over my head around and around, and one hit will kill any normal enemy. I admit it takes a lot of strength, but it does a lot more damage, and most enemies will be scared to get near me even if I'm casting a spell as long as this thing it whirling around my head." He mimed the actions, occasionally faking lashing out at either one of them. Lloyd had to agree that it would be an intimidating weapon, even if the user was too concerned casting a spell to even look around.

Genis looked around skeptically. "I'd show you how it works right now…but I'm afraid I'd take out the walls." He sized up the walls, and extended the chain.

Zelos quickly assured him that they didn't need a demonstration, and that while the hotel wouldn't mind a cracked floorboard, demolished walls might be something else entirely. Genis looked around and agreed, then unhooked the lock in a similar manner to the way he put it on, then set his entire weapon by his bed, instead of in his pack.

"I still like to play with a kendama occasionally," he said, yawning, "but really, I don't think they were really designed for fighting…Except for maybe the ones with maces…or frozen tops…or black holes…" he sat up. "Actually, I guess I wasn't the first one to use a kendama as a weapon."

"I guess not," agreed Lloyd.

"Hey!" Lloyd heard a voice from the entry room. It sounded like Sheena's. "Regal is back!" The three of them rushed back to the elevator to see what news he brought with him. He stood there, completely impassive. He had but a single, thin file in his hand, and what looked like a single sheet inside of that file.

"Have you found anything?" asked Presea, jumping to her feet.

Regal turned his head slowly to face her, and slowly and deliberately nodded. "I have," he confirmed. "But…but first I would like to talk to Lloyd. Alone."

"I've been hearing that a lot recently," replied Lloyd, nodding.

**Well, this chapter was getting really long with no action, so I cut it off here. There probably won't be any action next chapter either, but it should be shorter, and after that, there's tons of action. So, review.**

**Also, the best part ever about Tales of Symphonia is definitely beating up Mithos in swimming suits and costumes. Zelos in his skimpy little number, and Genis in his Katz Katz Katz costume… So much fun**


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on," Lloyd motioned for Regal to follow him, and led him past the balcony, over to the room where Zelos and Regal slept. Lloyd plopped onto the bed, and indicated a seat opposite, intent on Regal taking it. Regal did not move. He kicked the door shut behind him and sighed, his eyes downcast. He was holding his hands together, almost as if they were still shackled. Lloyd hadn't seen Regal much over the years that they were all apart, but he could tell that that was something Regal would only do when he felt guilty, or had a secret.

"Lloyd," said Regal slowly, "Forgive my tardiness. I only just found a lead a few minutes before it was time to leave, and felt it would be better to pursue it than to arrive on time." Lloyd shook his head and waved his hands, showing Regal that he didn't care. Regal held up the file clasped in his left hand. "This file is the record of a transaction between the Sybak Magitechnology Development Section and a certain noble known as Teren Gargenteth. He is one of the wealthiest nobles in the king's court, and is also known to be one of the most corrupt. The transaction was over a large section of land on the coast just south of here. Everything seemed reasonable, but I found it suspicious that a research group would need such large areas of land. In order to set my mind at ease, I checked some other land records from the area, and discovered that Teren Gargenteth does not actually own that land."

"So…" asked Lloyd, slightly confused, "He sold them something he doesn't own…which is illegal, right?"

"Well…" continued Regal, glancing down at the file, "Technically, yes, but I don't think that was his crime. I doubt he really sold them anything. I think that instead, the heads of the Sybak Magitechnology Development Section simply are paying him for…protection or something else that they would not want to show up in records. The land deal was only a façade. Whatever they were paying him for is far more sinister."

"So…" repeated Lloyd, possibly even more confused, "They want him to protect them…and they're paying him, right?" Regal glanced around, as if suddenly uncomfortable.

"That's what I hope, at least. I know of Teren Gargenteth, and while any forces he hired to protect anyone would be powerful, that would be a minor concern compared to other things he could do. Teren Gargenteth is the boss of the largest and most specialized smuggling ring in Sylvarant or Tethe'alla. He can get anything anyone would ever want. I would assume that the heads of the Sybak Magitechnology Development Section have nearly unlimited wealth, and Teren has nearly unlimited resources. If they work together, I am frightened of what they could achieve."

Lloyd sat on the bed for a moment, digesting all of that. "Then, what should we do?" asked Lloyd, rubbing his hand over his face.

"I suggest that you travel to Meltokio, and confront Teren. Though he is one of the highest in the Meltokion hierarchy, he is not exempt from the king's law. If Zelos, one of the other respected nobles of the court, were to convince the king to investigate Teren, perhaps we could find the appropriate solution to all of our problems."

"Well, if all we need to do is throw our reputation around a little, then everything will be easy! After all, everyone idolizes the 'Eight Saviors'" Lloyd laughed. Even though all the admiration his journey won him was usually annoying, it was sometimes useful. Regal looked at him sadly, almost regretfully. "What?" Lloyd asked, a bit perturbed.

"If only Meltokion politics were that simple. Teren will not keep all of his information at any location the king knows about, and there's not a living soul that would give up where Teren's other research centers were without…torture…at least. Therefore, even if you completely convince the king that Teren is guilty and should be arrested, he won't be able to do it due to lack of evidence, best case scenario. Worst case scenario, he ignores all further requests from you, or even imprisons you as traitors. After all, everyone knows that the eight of us are a bit…liberal in our beliefs systems about half-elves, or the people of Mizuho. I don't think anyone would deny that you are very idealistic Lloyd. All in all, we look like a bunch of radical loons trying to sway the king to do our bidding, despite an almost complete lack of contact with him for six years. What Zelos will do there will only be gathering evidence from loose tongues. Force will accomplish nothing."

Lloyd was slightly put out that force, which was his strong point, would not work here. He was not really accustomed to stealth. Additionally, there was another point bothering him. "Why do you say Zelos will do that, and not all of us? He isn't going alone, is he? Aren't we all going to stick together, just like six years ago?"

Regal sighed, his chest almost shaking. His voice sounded like he was a little disturbed, uneasy. It was an emotion Lloyd had nearly never seen Regal display, and it left him a little fearful of what was coming next. "Lloyd…Politics in Meltokio are slow…and none of you know the least about them, with the exception of Zelos. He is also the only one to have connections with anyone who could possibly give him a clue as to where more vital documents are. The rest of you would only get in the way, to be frank." Lloyd's fists clenched slightly. He had heard that line before, but this time, he knew that it was completely true. "I would be surprised if Zelos makes any progress within the next half of a year. This is not going to be a quick battle Lloyd, this is different. If you stay with Zelos, you'll allow whoever our enemies are to set off another one of their experiments, possibly putting more lives in danger, and bringing them one step closer to where they want to be, which I would assume is oppressing the people of Sylvarant. You need to stop their experiment, find out what Teren wants, and…gather more data about the group. You need to split into three groups."

Lloyd looked down at the carpet, struggling with the grim implications. "You mean…that Zelos…will have to go to Meltokio…and you will have to…stay here?"

Regal waved the file in front of Lloyd's face, his voice trembling, almost cracking. Lloyd had never seen him so close to loosing control. Lloyd was extremely frightened of why. "This file! It's nothing! A slim lead, maybe it could lead to another clue, but nothing else! We need more information to take down this group. I need to stay here!"

Lloyd stared into his eyes. They were not wet, exactly, but it was a close thing. "Regal," he asked cautiously, "Why are you so…emotional all of the sudden? You were almost like Presea six years ago…why are you suddenly so, so shaky?"

Regal flopped backwards into the previously proffered seat, his face a mixture of defeat and disgust at himself. He covered his face with his trembling hands and whispered, "I can't do it Lloyd." He was almost sobbing. "I can't…I can't kill anymore. Not with my hands…Not with my feet…I can't take another life…human or otherwise. I did it last time…but I can't do it again. Mithos' body tormented my dreams for months…I can't go back." His thoughts were disjointed and punctuated by gasps of breath.  
Lloyd stood there stoically as Regal slowly regained control. He had somewhat begun to expect this before Regal began losing control, but nonetheless, it was surprising. The shaking sobs that racked Regal's body slowly died out, leaving an engulfing silence. After inhaling deeply once through his nose, Regal pushed himself upright again. Lloyd could see that as he looked up to him, his chin was trembling slightly. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry for everything. I understand if you do not wish to associate with me anymore. I…can no longer even fight or kill anymore. I am so weak…I cannot even control my emotions."

"No," said Lloyd simply. "You are not weak. You are physically capable of fighting, of killing, I know that. You simply choose not to. That is a decision that I look up to, and hope I can make one day." Lloyd glanced down, slightly self-conscious from his little speech. "But right now, the world needs someone to look up to."

There was silence again for a little while. "And you just might fit the bill…" Regal trailed off, staring out the window. It was one of the few times of true dark in Altamira, after the sun had sufficiently set, but not so much that the lights of the casino were glaring off into space. He let out a trembling sigh. "Thank you, Lloyd, for understanding. Also, thank you for giving me a private audience. I have no qualms with revealing my…decision to the group, but it is reassuring to have the blessing of the leader first." Lloyd almost snorted. He always laughed when he was called the leader. He never thought of himself as the leader, and he didn't really see why anyone else did. Regal uncrossed his hands, no longer pretending they were shackled. "Come, let us tell the others."

They exited the room slowly. Both of them were weary both physically and emotionally. Lloyd reminded himself to get more sleep, even though he was the only one who had the night before.

Lloyd pushed open the door, and was surprised to find a thin blue film, almost like the sheen of a bubble. It reflected light eerily, and though Lloyd could see the rest of his companions waiting impatiently on the other side, he could not hear a word of their excited conversation. Some of them noticed that Regal and Lloyd had emerged, and began to noiselessly try to get Raine's, who was now awake and facing the opposite direction, attention. She was reading a book and fervently ignoring them, trying to finish her reading.

Lloyd was a bit dubious as to what kind of enchantment was placed on the door. He was loath to touch it, but cautiously began to edge his finger towards it. He was spared having to figure out what the consequence would be by Zelos, who leaped up behind Raine and ruffled her hair furiously. She leaped up and bowled him over using her staff, smacking him in the ribs. She then noticed what the rest of the group was pointing to. She waved her staff in the air, and the smooth, almost slimy shine disappeared.

"Sorry for placing enchantments on your room without your knowledge, but Zelos was trying to eavesdrop and I thought it appropriate. It was nothing but a silencing bubble…and mild electrocution, so he didn't try to touch it."

"Mild," snorted Zelos as he picked himself up off the floor. One of his fingers seemed slightly singed. Lloyd was glad he didn't have to determine the truth in Zelos' statement himself.

"Serves you right," laughed Genis. He turned his attention back to Lloyd. "What were you and Regal talking about?" His face was once again deadly serious. Zelos was no longer a valid distraction.

Regal took an incredibly deep inhalation; probably possible only because of his body was large enough to accommodate lots of air. He glanced at Lloyd, who nodded, in what he hoped was an encouraging gesture. Regal reverted his eyes to the rest of the group, who looked on eagerly.

Regal was much calmer this time. It was as if someone else had been talking in the room with Lloyd, he was only an observer, relaying what happened. Even when he explained why he couldn't stay with the larger group, he made his argument like it was an essay, the formal write-up, politely declining an invitation to come with the rest of them. He looked into their horror and sadness ridden faces as if they were a group of stockholders in his company. Only at the end, did he cast his eyes down, and murmur, "I'm…sorry…everyone."

The group stood in stunned silence. Even though they had all been split up for so long, they had expected that this would be a time they could all be together. "Bu…b…b…but…" the incomplete question spilled from Genis' dropped jaw, finished hundreds of different ways in each person's minds, but never answered. No one moved for a moment, until Colette leapt forward and embraced Regal in her divinely powered arms. She held him for a second; her eyes clenched shut, trying to stop tears. Her jaw was trembling, as Regal's had been just short minutes ago. After a moment she released him, and only through his angelic ears, could Lloyd hear her whisper, "I understand." She backed off to the rest of the group. None of them had any semblance of an idea of how to respond.

Zelos was the first to choose a response, and it was the wrong one. "So, I guess you just assumed my cooperation on this little scheme of yours?" He looked at Regal contemptuously. "You couldn't have asked me, could you? You couldn't trust me, but you could trust Lloyd? How come him, and not me?"

"Zelos…" cautioned Presea. There was a line that everyone knew he could pass, and they were treading carefully. Sheena, who was standing next to him, put a hand on her arm awkwardly. Regal looked a bit taken aback.

"How come, Regal? Did you think that maybe, if you told me your plan, I might betray you again? I've done it once, and you couldn't give me a second chance, could you? Maybe you couldn't trust me?

"Zelos!" shrieked Sheena. Shrieking is normally thought of as something annoying that should not be done, but in this situation, it was absolutely warranted. Before anyone could even think, there was a clap like the crack of thunder, and Zelos was on the ground, looking as confused as anyone else as to how he got there. The only evidence was out of his sight, and it was a rapidly reddening hand print on his right cheek.

Sheena was standing in front of him, her legs spread, and her back bent towards him so that her face was just over a foot away from his. Interestingly, it was turning red at the exact same rate as her hand mark on his face.

"Do you know what you're saying?" she screamed, almost earning the name Zelos dubbed her, Violent Demonic Banshee, although her actions were admirable, not demonic. "Maybe Regal didn't tell you beforehand because he knew you would respond like this? Maybe you're the cause of all of your own problems! Maybe we trust you Zelos, maybe we're giving you a second chance, and you're the one who's being unforgiving of yourself!" She stared into his horrified eyes for a few long seconds as everyone else glanced around. "Even with what hardships there were in your life Zelos, all of your problems were self inflicted. She glowered into his eyes for a moment longer, then in a single movement, righted herself and turned on her heel, striding into the elevator. Lloyd reached out his hand in vain to slow her, but she just pronounced, "Don't wait for me," and the doors swished shut.

There was stunned silence for a good minute or two. Zelos didn't even bother to rub his cheek like usually did when slapped. It was broken by Regal's voice, now quiet. "Zelos, I am sorry if I have offended you. I did not assume your cooperation; I simply assumed that if you dubbed it necessary, you would be willing to make some sacrifices for the greater good." He paused, and bit his lip. "If you hurry…you still may be able to find her and apologize actively tonight, instead of passively tomorrow."

"Yeah…" murmured Zelos, still staring at the elevator doors. Lloyd looked at him strangely. He obviously was lost in his own thoughts, as he had not at all reacted to the last part of Regal's response. In a moment he realized that everyone in the room was staring at him, waiting for him to do something. With a sudden "Oh!" he jumped up and rushed into the elevator. He was fidgeting nervously with his fingers as the doors swung shut.

There was silence for a few long moments. Lloyd bit his lip, waiting for someone to break it, and know that it would not be him. Finally, Genis spoke up. "So, this is it." Everyone slowly moved their heads to watch him. "We just got back together and already we're parting ways."

Everyone sat for a moment in silent and sad recognition of the fact. "Well, I know Zelos and Sheena aren't here, but Regal, are there any other details you could tell us about your plan?" Always the rational one, Raine once again broke the silence. Regal sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I am slightly ashamed to admit it, but I am charging into the ring blindfolded. I have no more idea what Zelos or I will find than any of you at this point. We're in a pretty desperate situation information wise, and I fear that if we reveal ourselves to be looking into their operations, the Tethe'allan Superiority Group will hide even more securely."

"Wait," said Lloyd, struck by an epiphany. "Can't we just skip the snooping and all stick together, then ambush the people at the next experiment? If it works, we might capture someone who does know where their base is!" He sat up, delighted at his solution.

Regal only sighed again, but this time Raine answered for him. "Lloyd, think about it. There are too many maybes. First, you saw the fanaticism that the first researcher displayed in his attempt to destroy us, killing himself in the same action. If one person is that devoted, it is a safe bet that more are also, and if they all commit suicide, then we will be without any information or leads at all. Additionally, by sparing our friend Lehrow, Regal let the Tethe'allan Superiority Group…that's a tiresome name… know that we were coming. There's a chance that if they take us seriously enough, they might do something as drastic as changing where the experiment is to take place. If that is indeed the situation, then we wasted two months, and let another site feel the devastation of the beams their experiment involves."

Lloyd sighed, his lower lip out slightly, like a young boy told he couldn't have what he wanted. Raine smiled almost matronly at him. "Lloyd, I know you want us all to stay together, especially since you specifically planned for the reunion to happen at this time, but like Regal said, sometimes sacrifice is a necessary part if you want to do what's right."

There was another of the increasingly common pauses. "Well," said Genis, interrupting the silence's nonverbal way of speaking to them. "I guess the least we can do is all agree to sleep on it. You may have not noticed with all of the excitement, but it's three hours past sundown. I'm going to bed."

"I agree," affirmed Presea. "I only hope Zelos and Sheena have the tact to figure out to be quiet when they come in." Everyone sighed at her doubtful hope.

***

Several hours later, Lloyd was roused from his near slumber by the swish of the elevator door. He stared sleepily for a moment at two pairs of feet. Zelos and Sheena, he realized dully. He was slumbering more deeply than before with the heavy curtains he had found earlier, and found them to be a slightly unwelcome disturbance. He would ask them what time it was, but he found he didn't even have energy for that.

To his slight surprise, the first voice he heard was Sheena's. "Thanks…" she murmured to Zelos. He said nothing in response. Now curious, Lloyd subtly shifted to his side, to see if he could determine their expressions. Unfortunately for him, the elevator doors swished shut, leaving the only light in the room that which managed to suffuse the thick curtains. Still, he could see their figures. Sheena was glancing upwards at Zelos' face, and he was looking back, eyes strictly trained on hers.

They stood like that for a moment, but as Lloyd was considering turning back to face upwards, Sheena took a deep shuddering breath, then as swiftly as she had when fleeing the room, turned on her heel and exited into the hallway. Zelos took a similar sigh, and glanced at the couch in the other corner of the room.

"I guess this is for me," he murmured to himself as he sank backwards onto it.

**So, not as long, and a much longer wait between updates. Sorry. Review to encourage me. I still need to know what you people are thinking of romance in this story. Favorite pairings? Cute scenes? I will let you know that I'm definitely doing GenisxPresea. There's a sleek new review button right below these words! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry guys, but I just got Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, so I've been otherwise engaged.**

The next morning was a glum one. People woke up at varying times, and quietly ate breakfast, which had been ordered by Zelos, who was slightly more familiar with the sizes of dishes at the hotel. Contrary to style, Zelos had been the first one awake that day. A few people woke up cheery, like Genis and Colette, but they were quickly subdued by the quiet noises of Zelos' packing. Unfortunately for him, most of his stuff was scattered on the floor in the room where Sheena was sleeping, so he had to tread very lightly. After a few minutes, he claimed to a have a close encounter with her and told everyone else in the party that he would just wait until she woke up.

Lloyd sighed. Everyone was awake except for Sheena and Regal, who was indeed sleeping like a bear. Lloyd felt a hint of resentment towards him, but he knew that it was unjustified. Regal was only the courier of this grim truth, the reality that was bearing down on them and Lloyd liked to believe that he was not the kind to blame the messenger.

Sheena woke up first, which was fortunate, so that not everyone had to be waiting for her. She merely nodded dolefully in greeting as Zelos entered the room. He began to pack away his armor as she sighed and left.

Finally, only Regal was left asleep. "It'd be a shame to leave without saying goodbye to him," mused Zelos sadly, "but I don't want to wake him up after all the work he did yesterday, and it's a long trip to Meltokio, even by Rheiard."

"We'll tell him you wanted to say goodbye!" exclaimed Colette, still managing a trace of hopeful, simple happiness, despite the fact that they were splitting up. "I'm sure he'll understand."

Zelos laughed a little, though it was without sarcasm or cynicism. "Well, I'll thank you for that. Bye, everyone. I'm sorry our time back together was so short." In a move of supreme anticlimax, he twisted around and pressed the elevator button. Of course, the elevator was near the bottom floor, so for about half of an awkward minute, they stood there in silence, with no valid, interesting topic of conversation to speak of. Still, inevitably, the door opened, and with a sigh, Zelos stepped in.

No one spoke for a minute, until Regal careened out of the kitchen, drunk on draughts of deep sleep. "Where's Zelos going?" he asked, his hand running through his long hair, which was impressively untangled, even right after waking up.

"Where do you think?" asked Sheena, slumping down on to the couch dejectedly. "You were the one who suggested this whole business."

Regal thought for a minute, confused. "To…get groceries? I do recall complaining about the lack of certain ingredients, if that's what you mean by 'suggesting this whole business.'"

"Zelos has left for Meltokio," said Presea, reverting to her old monotone. It was something she only did when serious, as Lloyd was beginning to notice. "He thought that it would be better to leave quickly before he thought too much about it."

A slow look of horror began to creep up Regal's face, like an extremely virulent infection. "What?" asked Lloyd. "You were the one who told him to go, why do you look so surprised?"

"I didn't mean immediately!" murmured Regal. "The next meeting of the Populus General isn't for another month! It's bad manners to show up early, he should have known that!"

A stunned silence greeted Regal's revelation. A silence like the silence a moment before a dam bursts, similar to the explosion of sound a few seconds afterwards. The elevator door and button were hammered as if they were foes in battle. Of course, the elevator couldn't come back up until Zelos had already reached his destination at the bottom, so by the time it came up, they were only greeted by a very surprised looking maid. Fortunately, Colette had the good sense to jump out of the window and fly down to the bottom of the tower and intercept him before he could find his Rheiard.

The very surprised Zelos was flown by Colette back up to the suite where the rest of the party and the confused maid were waiting. When the situation was explained, Zelos took a wild leap in the air, landed and ran around giving everyone a hi-five. When he reached Regal, he swung his hand away, leaving Regal's palm open and face up, as Zelos called it, "Leaving him hanging." He then mimed picking up Regal and throwing him off the balcony. Regal was not amused, but he was in the minority.

As months go, it was one of the most fun, if not productive that the party of eight had ever had. True, Regal was gone working and researching more than they would like, and even when he wasn't he was too busy thinking to be any real fun. His desperate hunt was like searching for a small, round diamond in a pit of glass beads.

Still, despite Regal's slight damper on the party, and the fact that they had to all stay in the vicinity of Altamira, there was plenty to do, and they did it all. They collected pearls and sold them just to see how much they could make, then donated it all to beggars they saw on the way home. They had Rheaird trick competitions, with everyone else in the party carefully flying under whoever was performing at the time, ready to catch them if they were to fall. Of course, in the rare occasion they got bored, they could play one of the fun, innocent social games that Colette had learned. If they ever got desperately bored, they could play one of the slightly less innocent social games that Zelos played. Of course, everything was kept very carefully in control by Raine and Regal, the twin pillars of moderation in the party. It was interesting for Lloyd to see how the other members of the party had changed over the years of absence.

Colette had changed the least, still as innocent and forgiving as ever, although she had slightly improved her coordination. Of course, she still had a long way to go, as demonstrated by the row of broken potted plants on the way to the elevator in the hotel. But even as Lloyd concluded that she had remained nearly the same, she seemed somehow…different. Lloyd couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but she seemed slightly more reserved, perhaps, was the word. It was as if she was afraid to go back into full swing, like things had been six years ago.

Genis' changes were largely physical. He had grown at least a foot and a half since the end of the journey, and his voice was lower. His hair had grown out even more, but it had in some way managed to keep its volume. Still, his personality were exactly the same, and as Lloyd saw the boyish grin that Genis occasionally would display, Lloyd felt as if he too, were six years younger, on his way to saving the world. Of course, because he was still such a little kid at heart, he accidentally tended to make things awkward when trying to act mature. Still, they were all friendly enough to laugh off his inexperience, and he was, in fact, mature enough to take it.

Raine was different in one way, and one way alone. Her thirst for knowledge, had not been quenched, but like a recently fed fire, had only grown stronger with her research. Though she no longer would dive to her feet to examine the foundation of a building, or to remark on how one of the stones was clearly much older, and must have come from an ancient building long gone, she was now more proactive. She too spent much time in the Hall of Records with Regal, but she managed to do so in moderation.

Having spent much more time with Sheena then with the other companions over the last six years, Lloyd had a much harder time deciding whether or not she had changed. She certainly had an easier time keeping her cool, but perhaps that was because the fate of the world was no longer resting on her shoulders. _Assuming whatever this Tethe'allan Superiority Group is doing isn't too serious,_ Lloyd reminded himself. Additionally, she seemed to be more tolerant of Zelos than she had been on the first journey.

Of course, being fair to her, Zelos was also much more tempered by his years away from the group. Still, fundamentally, Zelos was Zelos, and that was unalienable. His less frequent, yet still fairly common flirtations with check-in clerks, Meltokion civilians, amusement park clowns, actresses, scuba-diving instructors, lifeguards, chefs, waitresses, trolley operators, and whomever else he came across, tended now to draw more of smiles and rolled eyes than slaps and curses.

Regal was no longer so guilt-driven, and though still devoted every waking hour of his life to research; he no longer felt any obligation to his long dead wife, Alicia, to punish himself. Additionally, he had relearned how to fight with his hands, although he had become a pacifist, and refused to kill anything with them. During the third week of the month, Lloyd convinced Regal to duel him, Regal using his hands and feet and Lloyd using his swords. Everyone showed up to watch, and they were treated to a common sight and a rare sight. The common sight was Regal winning. The rare sight was Lloyd, bruised in more ways than one, limping back to the hotel. Regal came and apologized later, and Lloyd, having practiced many times on Colette, told him that no apology was necessary.

Of all of them, there was no competition as to who had changed the most. The clear winner was Presea. She no longer spoke with a monotone, and had actual emotion in her voice. Everything she did was energetic, fun, and completely satisfying. She was the one with the most creative and usually fun ideas for how the party could entertain themselves. Physically, she had grown, perhaps four or five inches, but was still below average height, "A condition," she jokingly lamented, "that she feared she would suffer for the rest of her life." In addition, to Genis' delight, she was far more receptive to his small, nearly pathetic attempts at flirtation. When she picked up on them, which was hard for anyone, considering how ambiguous he tried to make them, she would playfully thank him, as Zelos rolled his eyes. Zelos later remarked to Lloyd that he was considering taking Genis aside and giving him lessons, just so that he didn't have to hear any more awkward comments from him.

Those three weeks were everything that they had planned the reunion to be and more. Still, though they accomplished everything they wanted to, and reconnected more than they could every hope for, no one was entirely at ease. The grim shadow of what had happened on the first day of the reunion hung over them like a Damocletian sword. It was the grim subtle reminders that brought them back to earth, like Regal's brooding stare, or a passing comment by some hotel worker about the amazing technology that the Tethe'allans had, especially compared to Sylvaranti. Half-elf racism had decreased since the reunification of the two worlds, but it had been replaced by a vicious desire of the Tethe'allans to assert their authority over the Sylvaranti, and a desire of the Sylvaranti to stand up for themselves. The tension between the two worlds was becoming clearer than Lloyd had ever previously noticed on his journey to destroy exspheres. It pained him so greatly that it was almost physical. He had strived for such a long time to end prejudice entirely, not just switch its target.

Still, three weeks were only three weeks, and soon enough they were gone. Zelos waved goodbye to the party and hopped onto his Rheiard off into the sunset. It was sad, but not as sad as it would have been, had they not had the extra three weeks to prepare. They all went back up to the apartment, dejected, but still satisfied by the amount of time they had spent with the entire party together.

"Well," commented Genis, with an attempt at sarcasm, "At least we have one less person to compete for beds with!" Everyone knew he didn't mean it. The sleeping arrangements had changed several times throughout the vacation, as the curtains had allowed other people to sleep in the front room now, and Lloyd now shared a room with Regal, Sheena with Colette, Genis with Raine, and Presea outside on the couch. Lloyd had most enjoyed his stints with Sheena and Zelos, as they were not afraid to stay up late into the night talking. He hadn't yet had a chance to share with Genis, but that was coming up next, and he was looking forward to getting more private time with his childhood friend.

Still, even without Zelos, time passed. Perhaps a bit slower without his amusing antics, but just because there were only seven of them didn't mean that they couldn't have any fun. Of course, in some ways it was easier, now that they didn't have to satisfy Zelos' high energy demands. He could be calm, but even then he just seemed to be so happy and energetic that it was tiring to be around him for a long time.

Interestingly enough, the party spent a much shorter time without Zelos than they expected. Only a week in fact, but that week contained two important events, perhaps not for the quest in general, but for some party members certainly.

The first occasion was a beautiful night, the third night since Zelos left. No one had any ideas as of what to do, but Genis insisted that they go back to the theme park. They had only been twice over that month long period, and as they were Regal's personal guests, they could get in for free, which, Genis warned would not always be the case. Lloyd secretly knew that any of could probably get virtually anything they wanted for free, as they were the heroes of world regeneration, but he was unwilling to use his influence like that, so everyone agreed and the party was off to the theme park.

It was an almost exact repeat of the other two times they had gone, except without Zelos. That was not to say that it wasn't amusing, but without his energy, it seemed strange, like a cake without a pinch of salt. The night was almost over, and the conductor of the elemental railway announced that the train was departing in ten minutes.

"Uhhhggg…" groaned Raine. "We should go…I'm not feeling too well…those tea cups nearly made me vomit."

"There was no 'nearly' about it," Sheena whispered in Lloyd's ear. "I was in the car, and I saw her by the trash can afterwards, she's just trying to hide it." Lloyd grinned at the irony. Even with the most advanced healing artes, possibly in the entire world, Raine still could not prevent simple motion sickness.

"No," moaned Presea. "Let's not finish yet! Come on, let's have one more short ride. Look! There's no one in line for the Ferris wheel! Last one there has to ride alone!"

Raine groaned again. "Well…at least such a simple, slow circular motion won't aggravate my condition. Still," she moaned as she lurched forward dizzily, "I think I'm definitely going to be last. I'm in no mood to run."

"Readysetgo!" yelled Genis rapidly, as he dashed off, Presea giggling after him. Neither of them were the fastest of the group, but his legs had grown over the six years, and he had retained his litheness, in addition to no one being either 'ready' or 'set'. He arrived first, with Presea close on his heels, having also received a slight head start, having been slightly more prepared to run. Lloyd might have been third, had there not been a crowd of people surging the other way, eager to get onto the elemental railway. He was bumped and shoved from every direction, and he only barely kept on his feet. Thus, Colette, who had the distinct advantage of angel wings, beat him, but just barely. Sheena probably would have passed him with her acrobatic flips over the people in the crowd, but she stayed behind for a moment to see if Raine would be alright. Regal assured Sheena that he would make sure she reached the Ferris wheel safely, and Sheena was off. Still, her delay had cost her and she ended up fifth, Regal and Raine limping into last place.

Genis set his hands on his knees and bent over breathing heavily. His face was red, and in the rapidly chilling night air, he was actually steaming just little bit from sweat. It was clear that he had really wanted to win. Presea giggled. Despite having been reunited for over a month, Lloyd still had to check that it was in fact Presea giggling. It surprised him every time; it was such a radical about-face in her demeanor.

"Well," she laughed. "Genis, you won, but I'm second, so we go together!" She grabbed Genis' hand and skipped up to the ride operator, pulling a very confused Genis behind her. The ride operator, an old man cleanly shaven everywhere except for a perfectly trimmed shiny white moustache, winked knowingly at Genis. Genis looked at him, bewildered for a moment, until he realized the implication and blushed feverishly.

The old man laughed an old man laugh, deep in his throat, guttural and low. He barely managed to stop before breaking into a fit of coughing. Wiping his mouth he chuckled again as Presea pranced playfully into the Ferris car, Genis nervously following her. He looked partially excited, but mostly terrified. Lloyd couldn't help but snicker.

"Next, please," intoned the old man formally, though still with an obvious smile hiding behind his moustache. Colette glanced at Lloyd, then carefully walked over to the empty car, sitting on the furthest opposite side, resting her arm and chin on the side, looking out to the sea. She seemed to be deliberately ignoring Lloyd and the rest of the party.

Lloyd shook his head, confused and followed her, though he too sat further from the middle of the car. This was not at all like the Colette that he knew. She seemed lonely, despite the fact that she was now reunited with all of her friends from world regeneration. It was as if there was someone else she wanted to see who wasn't there, and she was clearly uncomfortable socializing too actively with the rest of the group. It was a problem Lloyd would have to ask her about, but later, and not when they would only have a short revolution or two on the Ferris wheel to discuss it.

To his surprise, the Ferris wheel began moving before he was completely comfortably seated, and it moved backwards, which he had not been expecting. He lurched forward, and would have fallen back onto the platform if not for the metal bar that Colette slammed down in front of him.

"Thank you," said Lloyd, hoping to get some kind of normal Colette-y response, but all she did was nod sadly. Lloyd sighed and, like Colette, leaned against the side of the car.

There appeared to be some disputation over who was sitting with whom down at the bottom, as Regal and Raine had tied for last. Apparently Raine volunteered to go alone though, and as she stepped in and collapsed into the car, clutching the bar tightly, Lloyd could guess why. He certainly wouldn't want anyone to see him like that.

The ride started up again, though it continued to move in reverse. Of course, at such a low velocity, Lloyd hardly felt any different, but it was still a nice change. The sun was setting beautifully to the west, casting its fading glow across the shallow waves of the ocean. It was almost like the sun's fire was traveling along with its light, and was now dancing through Altamira's waves. Dark purple clouds were banished from the horizon, fleeing like specters towards the growing dimness in the north and south. It was truly a beautiful and romantic moment, or at least it would have been if Lloyd had a more energetic partner on the car. Colette was staring determinedly to the north, as if trying to read an invisible book hanging several feet in front of her face.

Her stony demeanor was suddenly interrupted by a sound Lloyd was far more familiar with. Colette inexplicably let out a single burst of giggles, like some measure of mirth inside her had finally slipped out.

"What?" asked Lloyd, grinning, hopeful to eke some response out of Colette, but she remained as mystic as before. "It's nothing," she laughed.

Lloyd was about to insist that she tell him, but he realized that she was clearly listening to something amusing, judging by her slight lean forward and attentive face. Lloyd laughed and joined in the eavesdropping.

After they removed their exspheres, every member of the party had lost some abilities and retained others. Colette had lost some of her skill with chakra, but had kept all of her other angelic senses, including hearing. Lloyd had never fully undergone the angel transformation process, but he had gained some angelic senses, and by straining carefully, he could hear the adjacent cars. At first he thought that Colette was amused by Raine's piteous whimpering in the car behind, but Colette had never taken pleasure in anyone's pain, so Lloyd ruled that out.

Focusing in on the car that was now above him, containing Genis and Presea, he discovered the source of Colette's mirth.

"H…H…Hey…P…P…Pre…sea?" he stuttered. Lloyd was almost surprised for a moment, Genis had been improving in his speech patterns when around Presea, but Lloyd realized that he must have reverted to his original awkward speech once he realized that he and Presea were indeed alone, or at least alone with two eavesdroppers.

"Yes, Genis?" asked Presea calmly and expectantly. It was clear that she wanted to let him say what he had to say without her helping him.

"Y…you…you're…um…s…so…so…uh…beautiful," blurted Genis. Or at least, that's what Lloyd thought that he said. It was hard to tell. Genis' speech was not very clear.

"What's beautiful?" asked Presea. "I didn't hear that first part." She seemed genuinely confused, not cruel. Her head was cocked slightly toward Genis. Genis seemed taken aback that she did not understand him the first time.

"Uh…umm…y…I mean…um…I think that…y…the sunset," sighed Genis, defeated. "The sunset is so beautiful." Genis looked dejectedly down at his shoes. A slow smile spread across Presea's face as she realized that the sunset was not what Genis originally had meant to compliment.

"I couldn't agree more," she confirmed contently. The Ferris wheel had continued its movement, bringing Genis and Presea's car in front of Lloyd and Colette's, giving them a better view of the proceedings. Even as Lloyd silently thought in his head that he was glad for a better view, Presea wiggled in her seat, nonchalantly scooting closer to Genis. Unlike Lloyd and Colette, Genis and Presea were seated very close together, leaving the rest of the car open. For a moment, Lloyd laughed to himself imagining the blush creeping over his best friend's face, until he didn't have to imagine any more, as the blush had spread itself all the way to the back of Genis' neck. Lloyd shook his head and put his forehead in his hand, feeling the embarrassment for Genis.

Still, to his credit, Genis didn't back away, or say anything, or in any way try to deter Presea, and that was all that mattered at that exact moment. "It's interesting," remarked Presea seemingly innocently, but with obvious implications, "That you only stutter sometimes. You seem fine when you're with the entire group, but when it's only two people, like say, me and you, the problem comes back."

"Oh…um…yea…um…I…I don't know why that'd be!" excused Genis hastily. "I guess I'll just have to try to…uh…er…be more clear…about…what…I…think…" Genis' last words faded off into silence, so that Lloyd had to almost guess the last couple.

Presea laughed. "I guess so, but maybe I can help,"

Genis' eyes widened as he looked at her. "Huh?" he asked.

"Well," continued Presea formally, "In order to solve this problem, we've got to get to the root,"

"I'm not stupid," replied Genis angrily, and for once, without stuttering. "Don't make it sound like I'm mentally retarded. I just…get…nervous sometimes…around…some…people…" Genis realized that he had said too much to be entirely ambiguous anymore, and the blush began to creep back around his neck. Lloyd wanted to yell instructions or encouragement, but that would certainly only worsen the situation. He was just glad, for once, that Zelos had left.

Presea grinned smugly at his admission. "What people?" she asked. "Me, as exemplified. Anyone else?"

"N…not…not really, no," replied Genis, his voice quavering.

"Well, then!" exclaimed Presea, clapping her hands so loudly that Genis jumped, "The solution is simple!"

"I…it is?"

"Yes!" There was a moment of silence.

"What is it?" inquired Genis eagerly.

"Genis, you and I must come to a point in our relationship," Genis sat up at that word, "Where we both trust each other as friends, and where you know that you can say anything to me without fearing negative repercussions, and I know that whatever I do, you won't be hurt. That way, you'll not need to be nervous!"

There was a silence so tense that Lloyd and Colette were nearly falling out of their chairs, trying to hear what was said next. The Ferris wheel gave off a squeak that startled Lloyd as much as a cannon blast in a dark room, causing him to jump back. Fortunately, he regained his composure enough to hear what Genis said next.

"Th…th…" he paused for a moment, regaining his composure. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." He leaned back slightly in his chair, but now Genis and Presea's car was crossing over the limits of Lloyd's vision, dropping below them in its circle around the predestined path. "That sounds wonderful."

Presea, on the other hand, did not sit up straighter; she actually relaxed her posture, back to her normal self, close up against Genis. "Doesn't it?" she whispered. And just as they dropped out of the event horizon of Lloyd's sight, Lloyd thought he saw his childhood friend slowly extend his left arm and drape it around Presea's shoulders, not quickly or smoothly, but at least comfortably. She lowered her head to his shoulder and nestled it in the cleft of his shoulder.

Lloyd heard Colette sigh romantically to his side, and he wanted with all of his heart to turn around in his seat and see what was happening now, but they were both silent, and Lloyd felt that if either Genis or Presea caught him staring at them, or somehow figured out that he had seen the proceedings, the entire event would be ruined and things would become even more awkward than before, so despite his most fervent desire, he sat still in his seat.

"They're very cute together," said Colette, speaking to Lloyd for the first time that ride. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah," agreed Lloyd. "I probably should have seen that coming, but I didn't."

Colette laughed softly, more out of nostalgia than amusement. "That's the Lloyd we all know and love. Completely clueless."

"Hey," responded Lloyd, faking outrage, "Aren't you the one who always accidentally trips over everything?"

Colette laughed again, this time out of pure joy and humor. "Lloyd," she explained mirthfully, "You're confusing two traits. You're clueless. I'm clumsy. There's a difference."

"Oh," said Lloyd looking down. "I can't believe I've had that mixed up for so long."

Colette shook her head at Lloyd in mock condescension. "It's scenes like that," she gestured back at Presea and Genis, "conversations like this," she pointed at the two of them, "that almost make me wish…that…never mind," she ended, shaking her head, hoping to discourage Lloyd's inquiries. She did not.

"That make you wish what?" asked Lloyd, oblivious to the body language that was telling him to ask her later.

"Let's…let's talk about it later, okay? When we have a little more time, alright,"

"We've got plenty of…oh," The ride ground to a halt as the two of them reached the bottom and the door unlocked and swung open. Lloyd and Colette stepped out.

The old operator coughed twice to clear his throat, then gleefully intoned. "Thank you very much for riding the Lezareno Ferris Wheel. That will be the last run of the day, you may exit to your left."

"Thank you," said Colette, nodding to the ride operator, this time sincerely. "I had a good time." They exited to the left as the Ferris wheel made another ten degree turn to let out Regal and Sheena. Lloyd and Colette descended the ramp to find Genis and Presea, side by side, and a little closer than they would have been before the ride. Both of them also had massive grins on their faces.

"What are you two so happy about?" Lloyd implied that he knew with his eyebrows, but of course neither of them had any reason to suspect eavesdroppers, so they reset their faces to blank, almost formal looks.

"No reason," replied Genis, careful not to betray anything, even though a slight grin was tugging at the corners of his cheeks, no matter how hard he tried to keep them down. "I…I just love Ferris wheels!" he formulated quickly.

Regal, Sheena, and Raine joined them, though Raine had her eyes shut and was being pulled along by Sheena. "Raine," lectured Sheena, "You're never going to feel better until you open your eyes. That's how motion sickness works."

"No…" moaned Raine. "I'm not going to open my eyes until the world stops spinning!" She vehemently stomped her foot.

"And the world is not going to stop spinning until you open your eyes," concluded Regal. "You have a bit of a dilemma here, Raine."

Raine scowled and looked at her feet, but millimeter by millimeter pried open her unwilling eyes. After a few moments her eyes were completely open, and she collapsed backwards, staring up into the sky. She groaned loudly.

"Hmm…" mused Genis happily. "Water and theme parks. I'm going to have to remember this for later."

Raine growled at him from the ground, but couldn't do anything else. In the distance, a call rang out from several loudspeakers near the elemental railway. "This is the final boarding call! All should be on in the next five minutes, or they will have to swim!"

"Looks like you're stuck between your two fears, Raine," explained Presea sympathetically. "If we get on the train, you'll have to deal with its fast motion, but if you don't, you'll have to swim back." No one could resist a piteous glance at Raine, who groaned once more, but refused to make further statement.

"I've heard that lemon is an effective cure for motion sickness," thought Regal out loud. "Ah," he exclaimed, "I have just the thing." Reaching into his pocket, he produced a small yellow candy in its wrapper. "Here, take this," he said, placing it in her mouth. "It's a Lezareno company lemon drop, so you can be assured of its highest professional quality."

Sheena rolled her eyes behind him, but the little pill obviously did its job, as Raine slowly relaxed, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing to a normal rate. "…So…I guess we're taking the train?" ventured Sheena. "Are you okay with that Raine?" She did not respond. "Raine?" questioned Sheena.

"I wouldn't ask her," yawned Regal, glancing over to the train.

"What do you mean?" asked Lloyd, not getting Regal's implication.

"That wasn't a lemon drop; it was a fast-acting sedative. I always keep several on me."

Genis couldn't stop laughing until they were all the way back to the suite.


	8. Chapter 8

**By the way, I'm assuming we're all pretending that Altamira and the other cities in Tales of Symphonia are the size of real cities and not video game cities. Four buildings in a city just doesn't cut it for the purposes of writing, even though it may work in the game.**

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The second major occurrence during the week that Zelos was gone was on the fourth day of the seven, and it finally resolved the matter of Colette. As the party walked home from the theme park, Regal with a snoring Raine slung over his shoulder, Colette had returned to her normal self. She was once again social, innocent, caring, and compassionate. She held up the party for a minute or two as she insisted on entering a pet shop they had passed before, though she had not remarked on it then. Everyone else in the party had seemed to notice the change, or rather the reversion, but none of them said anything.

Halfway back, Raine woke suddenly with a scream and fell off of Regal's shoulder. "I'm sorry!" she explained rapidly, "I just had an awful dream that I was riding on the Elemental Railway, even though I was already horribly motion sick, and I felt so hideously unwell!" Raine was breathing heavily, but as her breathing slowed, the fear on her face slowly became confusion. "Why was I asleep on Regal's shoulder in the first place? And why don't I remember anything…after…the…Ferris…Oh no…" Her face turned back to sheer horror. "I wasn't drunk, was I?" Genis had only just stopped laughing at that the fact that Regal had to drug Raine in the first place, and this only added to his hilarity. He had to lean on Presea, (who he had been walking very close to) to stop himself from falling over.

"No, no," muttered Raine, "The loss of memories is too abrupt, and…assuming today is the same day as before," she hypothesized, glancing up to the sun, "It didn't last long enough. Plus," she felt her forehead and cupped her hand over her mouth, "No hangover, and no scent of alcohol. What was it then? I'm not developing narcolepsy, I hope."

She glanced around at the party. Lloyd kept his eyes carefully downcast; he didn't trust himself not to show the humor of the situation. "You must have passed out from motion sickness," explained Regal, without the slightest hint of any act. He was certainly skilled.

"Ah-ha!" exclaimed Raine, slamming the bottom of her hand into her fist. "This supports my theory that theme parks are bad for you!"

"J…just theme parks…in…in general?" asked Genis, though this time his halting speech was caused for gasps of breath between fits of laughing.

"Yes!" encouraged Raine, "Don't you see? Wait, wait, hear me out this time, I'm sure I'm right." Colette was the only one who paid any attention at all, but Raine didn't care. She was content to continue her rant despite her usual lack of pupils.

As they reached the front of the hotel, Raine ceased her lecture, as Colette had turned around. As she was in front of the group, it was obvious that she had something to say. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Everyone," she began, "I just…have …have something I want to say. I may not have acted like it, but I really have missed you over these six years, and, and the reason I seemed…distant, or, or awkward or something was because I was having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. So, I'm sorry if I seemed like I didn't want to talk to you or anything, I assure you that's the most far thing from the truth in the world, so I'm going to try to be more happy and involved now."

There were a few moments of silence. Sheena was the first to speak, stepping forward. "Colette, there's nothing to apologize for. We've all had a hard time adjusting to how everyone else has changed; I guess you just took a little longer. It's good to have you back to normal."

"Thank you, Sheena." Colette beamed, almost seeming to literally glow. "Thank you all for understanding."

"No problem, Colette!" Genis piped up enthusiastically. He was still hanging as close to Presea as he could without anyone else growing curious, though Lloyd suspected that he was doing it well enough that only he and Colette could tell. "We're your friends! That's our job!" Colette's smile grew even bigger if possible.

"Come on," interrupted Raine, jumping out of the way of an extremely large man with several kinds of liquors under each arm. "We better get inside before this party gets 'too fun'. I think that first night was bad enough for me." She skipped up the stairs, landing gracefully at the top and pushing open the door. "Well," she gestured, "What are you waiting for?" Lloyd could already hear shouts of drunken euphoria coming from the center of town. As Colette turned to watch the location of the yells, her face began to pale, like Raine's had after the theme park, but she shook her head, and turned. The smile was fading from her face like its color. Lloyd almost asked her what was wrong, but she clearly was trying to avoid attention.

"Yeah, let's go," Lloyd motioned up the stairs as everyone ascended. As they were walking through the hall to the elevator, Lloyd and Colette were in the back. Of course, true to her style, Colette failed to notice a small snag in the carpet exactly as the ramp up to the elevator started, and with a cry of surprise, she found herself flat on her face.

"Are you alright?" asked Lloyd, concerned. Colette had fallen quite a bit, but it still worried him each time. Lloyd extended his hand to help her up.

"Y…yeah, I'm fine," replied Colette, sounding startled. She grabbed Lloyd's hand and pulled herself up, almost pulling Lloyd over in the process. She was putting more weight on his hand than usual.

"There's our Colette," laughed Genis, in an overall good mood that night, and justly. "Always picking herself up." But Colette did not look like she was herself. Her face was quickly turning paler, and she was leaning on the banister for support. "C…Colette," stammered Genis, "Are you okay?"

"Colette are you just…" interjected Sheena, leaving the last half of her sentence floating in the air, open for interpretation, although the only one who got her meaning was Colette, who just nodded at Sheena, with a hint of pain in her eyes.

"I…I'm sorry…everyone, I'm just feeling a little nauseas. I…I think we should just get back to the apartment."

"There's no need to apologize," sighed Lloyd, "but I agree, let's get you back to the suite so you can lie down for a little while. I've heard that there was a bug going around a little while ago, maybe it's something like that." Colette nodded with her eyes closed. She slung her arm around Lloyd as he helped her into the elevator. Everyone else piled in, and the pressed the button for the top floor. Colette was breathing deeply in the elevator, carefully trying to lessen her stomach's protests. As the elevator reached the top, Lloyd and Raine guided Colette to the couch and sat her down. As she lay back, she opened her mouth, almost like a yawn, and carefully inhaled.

Raine felt Colette's wrist and forehead. "No trace of a fever, and her pulse feels fine, normal. She's not hyperventilating either." Raine gently took Colette's chin and turned her face from side to side, inspecting her. "It's almost like a common flu…but I don't know why she looks so pale…besides, angels should be immune to disease. Of course, Colette isn't fully an angel…so sickness could crop up…maybe. Still, it doesn't look too threatening. Just that stomach bug you were talking about Lloyd, I'd guess."

"Genis," suggested Regal, "Perhaps we could find something in the kitchen to help calm her stomach, I'm sure we have something we could make."

"Yeah," agreed Genis suddenly excited, obviously with something in mind, and they exited. Lloyd, Presea and Sheena remained and watched amused as Raine searched for a clipboard to write down symptoms and diagnose Colette. With a happy exclamation, she produced a flyer for a restaurant and a hard book to back it with.

"Professor, I think I really am okay, it's probably just a stomach bug, like you said," Colette suggested hopefully. "I'll be okay if I can just rest for a little while."

"Nonsense," replied Raine, waving off her request. "I can't miss this opportunity to study angel...On…er…to help you feel better," corrected Raine hastily. "Now, I doubt it's anything serious, but there's no sense in being rash. We best make sure there's no threat to your health." Raine kneeled back down in front of Colette, once again, taking her wrist again and making a note on her pulse. "I assume this isn't recurring, as you haven't been acting sick over the last couple weeks."

"Er…" Colette cast her eyes down. "Actually, it has happened a couple times before, but it's…it's usually in the…the morning, before anyone wakes up, so I just kind of lie there until it passes." Raine's eyes darted up from Colette's wrist to catch her deep blue eyes. They were locked in that gaze for a moment, until Raine broke it to look back at her makeshift clipboard. She then glanced back at everyone in the room, but from Lloyd and Presea she received only blank gazes of confusion. Sheena, however, was reacting differently. She seemed afraid to meet Raine's gaze, and seemed slightly uncomfortable, one arm hanging to the side, the other grabbing it at the elbow, as if to keep it from falling off.

"Please, Professor Sage…Raine, I think all I need is some sleep. May I go to my room?" Colette begged. Raine continued her visual interrogation of everyone else in the room, but finally suspiciously nodded and laid her clipboard aside. She stood up and took a step back.

"I think that would be best. Do you need assistance?" Colette shook her head and shakily pushed herself to her feet. "Very well. When Genis and Regal are done cooking, I'll have them send their dish to your room. If you are in the mood to eat, you can have it."

"Thank you, Professor," replied Colette, seeming very genuinely grateful. "I'll be okay. I just want to sleep right now." She slowly and delicately hobbled out of the room.

"Professor," asked Lloyd, "What's wrong with Colette?" He could tell that Raine had at least guessed a cause for Colette's sudden and violent nausea, and he wanted to know what it was.

Raine sighed, and looked over to her set-aside clipboard. "I'm not sure, but I have a suspicion. With almost no evidence, either on her symptoms, or how the angel body reacts to…things, I'm going to have to continue observation, to see if I've correctly diagnosed her…her…condition, seems the appropriate word."

Raine nodded and walked into the kitchen, leaving the three of them behind and confusion so tangible, it was almost like a scent permeating the room. "What's wrong with Colette?" asked Lloyd, hoping to glean some knowledge from his companion's reactions. Presea only shrugged, but when Lloyd turned to Sheena, she sighed.

"I…I think I should go help her out. Okay, guys?" Lloyd and Presea nodded. As Sheena left, she passed Regal and Genis entering, Regal carrying a tray of some steaming hot liquid, although Lloyd could not tell if it were a weak soup, or some kind of tea. Still, its aroma was indeed soothing.

"Hey," questioned Genis, "What happened to Colette?" Lloyd explained the brief events that had transpired. Regal looked for half a moment that he might understand what was going on, but he quickly shook his head.

"I'll take this to her, all of you should probably be getting to sleep as well. It's later than you think. Time passes remarkably quickly at a theme park." He turned quickly and carefully on his heel, though so smoothly that not even a drop of the almost overflowing tea-substance sloshed over the brim.

"Wow…" mused Genis. "I wonder what she has. Geez, though, what a way to put a damper on a perfect day."

"Perfect?" asked Presea, amused catching Genis' embarrassed eyes before he could glance away.

"Well…er…a near perfect day, anyway," corrected Genis, as he to turned and left to his room. Presea giggled just twice as he left, shaking her head.

"I should be getting to sleep too," added Sheena, striding out of the room. Lloyd looked to Presea who shrugged. He nodded to confirm that they might as well get to sleep as well. Presea was sleeping on the couch, so she just sat down and reached for a blanket.

"Turn off the lights as you leave," asked Presea. Lloyd nodded and flipped the switch. He was surprised by how dark it suddenly became, not just in the room, but throughout the entire suite. He hadn't realized that their light was the only one on. Lloyd was now sharing a room with Genis, and as he crept in, he realized that Genis had basically fallen asleep before he hit the bed, or was at least pretending. The heavy curtains hanging in front of the windows were such effective mufflers that it was as if there were thick furs in front of the windows. The only illumination in the room was the thin, weak light seeping in from under the curtain. Still, that was enough for Lloyd to perceive the gigantic, contented smile on his best friend's face. In Genis' mind, there was clearly no "near" perfect to the day he had just had.

Lloyd smiled too. "I'm happy for you," he whispered, though not loudly enough for Genis to hear, in case he really was just fake-sleeping. Lloyd doubted it though. They had all had a tiring day, and as he lay down to bed, he found the sudden, strong pull of sleep completely irresistible. He quickly covered himself up with a thin, comfortable blanket, thick enough to provide a feeling of security, but thin enough not trap all of his body heat, turning into a human furnace.

As he shut his eyes, he felt exhaustion throb behind his eyes, like a strong pulse in his head. Once, twice, and the next thing he knew, his eyes were slowly opening, and it was morning.

***

"Lloyd," asked Genis, shaking his shoulder harshly. "Lloyd?" Lloyd replied with a groan and rolled over, hoping, like a small child playing peek-a-boo, that if he couldn't see Genis, he would just disappear. "Lloyd, you're obviously awake. Everyone is going out to breakfast, and we were wondering if you wanted to come."

Lloyd grunted. "Do…I…look like I want to come?" he moaned, throwing his arm over his eyes, trying to block out the light. Someone had opened the curtains, and he was sending out nasty psychic vibes to whoever did it.

"Told you guys!" Genis yelled back over his shoulder. "Lloyd doesn't function until ten minutes after he's woken up. Let him fend for himself. There's food in the kitchen!" Genis turned back to Lloyd. "That sound good?"

"Yeah, whatever," replied Lloyd, batting his arm at Genis, signaling that it was time for him to leave. Genis shrugged and departed.

Of course, as Genis predicted, Lloyd was feeling as right as rain in approximately ten minutes, so he rolled back on the bed so that most of his weight was on his shoulders, and with a dramatic spasm, flipped himself back to his feet, just like when he had fallen in battle. It would have worked rather well, were the bed just a little lower or the ceiling a little higher.

Rubbing his throbbing head, now with a bump quickly growing on it, Lloyd stumbled into the kitchen, blinking at the bright light. He groaned and reached into the cupboard to pull out a bag of oats and look for some honey. He had never been one for breakfast, but some oatmeal with honey sounded decent at least. He closed the cupboard, as there was no honey in there.

"I made you some eggs, if you want them," came a voice from behind him. Lloyd whirled around in surprise, sending oats flying from the bag. His other hand whipped to his waist, where his belts and swords would normally be, but he had forgotten that he still was only wearing an undershirt and some casual shorts. Squinting again, Lloyd determined the source of the voice. It was Colette.

Lloyd relaxed, setting the bag of oats down. The oats had left a mess, but the entire kitchen was in a state of total chaos, half prepared ingredients and concoctions littered the countertop and floor. Though Regal was extremely neat, Genis had never completely learned to clean up after himself, so Lloyd doubted that small spill of oats would bother anyone.

Colette was sitting at the small table in the kitchen, her back to the window and Altamira. Lloyd strode up and sat opposite of her. "I thought you went with the rest of the group for breakfast."

Colette shook her head. "No, they decided that I still should probably stay off my feet, get some rest."

Lloyd scooted in the chair into the table with a loud squeak. Colette winced. "Sorry," apologized Lloyd. "It must be bad with your specially tuned angel hearing. So, anyway, are you feeling better?"

Colette just nodded sadly, looking to her side. The corner she was sitting in had windows behind her and to the side, so she was now gazing out across the sea, where the newly risen sun was once again taking on its impossible task of warming the vast ocean of Altamira. "It comes and goes. I'm feeling better now, but I know it won't last. It'll be like this for a little while still, but then I'll be better."

"Oh," sighed Lloyd, relieved. "So Raine figured out what you have?"

Colette shook her head again, sending waves down her long, smooth blonde hair, like the ones rising from the surface of the ocean hundreds of feet below them. "No, no, she hasn't…but she's guessed…and she'll be certain soon."

"Wait, wait, Colette, you're confusing me. You know what you have, and Raine doesn't? Well why haven't you told her?"

Before, Colette had seemed unwilling to meet his eyes, but now she slowly turned her head, and stared deep into his eyes, seeming desperate for his approval and acceptance. Of what, he didn't know. It was frightening him slightly. "Well, well…I…I…" she stuttered for a moment, reminding Lloyd for a ridiculous moment of Genis. "I didn't want to be the first one of the group to…to change, to quit the adventuring life, to say that I had done my fair share, to let everyone else take over…to…to settle down, and all. I didn't want to be alone! I couldn't be the only one who had…had other responsibilities that I had to attend to, and not just politics or adventures, I had…I had other…things!" She collapsed back into the seat covering her face in her hands like a mask.

A frightened Lloyd was sitting the furthest back he could manage in his seat. Colette was not behaving like herself. Or at least, she wasn't behaving like her normal self. He had never known her to explode with any emotion like that. Lloyd inhaled deeply and exhaled, as a cue for Colette to do the same, hoping it would calm her. She did, and it soothed her enough for her to break the intense eye contact. The only time that Lloyd had even seen Colette act remotely like she was had been when she had major secrets she was concealing, and Lloyd guessed that she had another, and he was about to find out what it was. Removing her hands from her face, Colette was fiddling with something in an inner pocket of her dress, slowly pulling it out with shaky hands. Whatever she had was too small for Lloyd to see through her fingers.

"Lloyd…when…when I went back to Iselia…I just thought I was going to be there for a week…or…or maybe two, but I only wanted to see old friends and such, but then…then everything…I…I still don't know, things just happened so fast and…and…" She ostensibly decided that actions spoke louder than words, and she slipped her left hand into her clutched right, wiggling something onto her fourth finger. She took a deep breath, and without exhaling, held up her left hand. A small gold band now glittered dully in the light leaking in through the window. "Lloyd, I'm married,"

The revelation stuck Lloyd like a train. So hard, in fact, that for a few seconds, he was mentally numb, and did not at all react to Colette's statement. "L…Lloyd?" she asked, "Lloyd, what's wrong? I'm sorry, I should have told everyone earlier, but I just couldn't bring myself to be…the…the normal one, in the group of saviors. Lloyd?"

"I'm sorry," Lloyd heard himself say, though his mind was somewhere else. "I need a few moments to digest this. Just…just…give me a second, okay?" Colette nodded fervently, but did not say anything. Lloyd interlaced his fingers in front of his face then put his middle and index fingers of each hand on either side of the bridge of his nose. "So…you're telling me that you've been married…and that's why you've been acting strange, because you didn't want anyone to know. How did you plan to keep this secret for the entire reunion?"

"I don't know," exclaimed Colette. She appeared to be losing control over her emotions. "It was a bad plan, I just, I just didn't want to seem like the one…the goody-goody, you know?"

Lloyd scratched his head. "Well, I'm really happy for you, I'm just wondering…I know everyone in Iselia…who could you have married? Other than the two of us, I don't remember being anyone else around our age. I mean, I still can't conceive it, until I at least have some part of the story."

"Well, his name is…Do you remember Tom?" began Colette.

"That little jerk?!" demanded Lloyd. "You married him?!"

"What?" asked Colette, equally appalled, "Oh, oh no, of course not! He's like five years younger than me anyway. And plus, he's not a jerk, he's just shy, and a little awkward. He doesn't know how to deal with people, so he tries to get them to stay away."

"Well…then…then who?" asked Lloyd, still confused. In his head, Lloyd mentally heard Raine correct, "Whom," but he didn't fix his speech.

"His mother's brother's son, or his cousin. He…I…when I returned to Iselia, there was a crowd of little tents, and makeshift buildings outside, and I was confused, so I went to ask Grandma, Phiadra. She told me that after the disaster at Palmacosta, the giant tree one…the one that I caused…"

But Lloyd interrupted her. "No, Colette, you did not cause that disaster. True, we, as a group, were rash when we decided to awaken the summon spirits, but the disaster with the tree was certainly not your fault. Sorry for the interruption, please continue."

Colette nodded, and spoke. "I know, I've come to terms with that, but that's what I thought at the time, so that you could understand my thinking." Lloyd nodded, and motioned for her to continue. "Well, the people in the tents were evacuees from Palmacosta. Every city for miles around was full, so some people had to come all the way to Iselia. About double the population of the village." Lloyd sat up in surprise, but Colette continued. "Naturally, the villagers took in those who they could, but everyone else had to stay outdoors. So, of course, I decided to volunteer to help building a new town hall where the refugees could stay, until they had houses of their own in Iselia, or back in Palmacosta. Unfortunately, I found my help was…unwanted."

"Why?" asked Lloyd, but he was beginning to see. He just wanted to make sure that his thought patterns were right.

"The evacuees were…naturally unfriendly. Not only was I one of the group who indirectly destroyed their city, I was also the one who was supposed to save them all. It was the salt in the wound, and none of them would even talk to me, er, well, except for the ones who would hurl insults, but I had to ignore them. But then, after being there for week, without any progress with any of the newcomers, one of them approached me, walking next to Tom. He introduced himself as Clancy, and said that he was Tom's cousin, and that…that both of his parents died when the giant tree destroyed Palmacosta. I apologized, told him that I was sorrier for this than for anything else in my life, and, and he…" Colette was getting teary-eyed. It was unusual for her to get this emotional. Normally she had deep interest and care for everything and everyone, but she wasn't one of the weepy ladies that Lloyd used to know from Iselia.

"He…he…told me that…I had already showed him…by what I had done, how I worked to fix things." She sniffed. "I'm sorry, but you don't know what that meant to me. It hurt to be rejected by my own people, despite my best efforts. I couldn't stand it, and his statement…made me feel like I had actually been on my way towards atoning for my and the rest of the party's mistakes. But, then…then he told me that he respected me, and what I had done, even though no one else did, but he still didn't quite feel like he could forgive, or understand me. Then he told me that he would like to understand better, so that maybe he could feel that I had only done what was necessary, so he would come over to Phiadra's house, where I was staying, once a week, and we would talk. Just talk. That's all we would do, until one day, just out of the blue, he told me that he could finally forgive me. Of course, by then, we had become such good friends, that we kept meeting at least once a week, but…they were less of um…therapy sessions, and more of dates."

Colette wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so emotional now it's these darn hor…" but she stopped before finishing her sentence. "I'm rambling now, sorry." Lloyd shook his head but said nothing. He had decided that it would be best if didn't interrupt at all, because he knew that she would eventually explain everything, and his questions probably wouldn't help.

"But…anyway, we were both kind of busy, and I had to leave occasionally to go do other things, like, have my blood taken in Sybak so they could research angels, or help convince some political leader to do the right thing, so I was gone a lot. I, we, had really become a bunch of celebrities, and since I was the only one not out on some really important quest, I was usually the one asked to represent us. Well, so one day, maybe six months or so since I arrived in Iselia, we finished the town hall, and, well I had done my part, and ever since all the refugees had seen me and Clancy together, they had started to more accepting, and understanding. So…Iselia had once again become my home, and I couldn't bring myself to just, just pack up and go. I couldn't leave Clancy behind, and I couldn't bring him with me. Neither of us wanted him to become the Chosen's boyfriend, we had already seen all of the publicity when famous people get in relationships, and we didn't want that. So, for about three months or so, I tried to convince myself that there was more to be done. I improved the well, made repairs on the schoolhouse, and did other tasks that were of little to no importance. I didn't want to leave, but other than Clancy I had no reason to stay, and someone of my fame can't simply settle down, say goodbye to the outside world. But one day, I was starting to pack, and I was telling him this, so he…he just got down on one knee and proposed…and…and I couldn't say no. So, we were married about another half of a year later." She sighed. "He's such a wonderful man, Lloyd. I want you all to meet him, but not now. You all have more important things to do."

"What do you mean, 'you all'? That seems to imply that we will aren't going together." observed Lloyd. He could tell that she hadn't revealed everything, and her illness was still unexplained. "I can see that you miss your husband, but you can still visit him every once in a while, that's no reason to stop adventuring."

Colette looked down and exhaled, as if calming herself for the revelation she was about to unveil. "Lloyd, Lloyd…there's another…complication. I…I have a daughter, and…and I think I'm pregnant again." She turned her head and winced as she waited for the pin to drop. For a moment, Lloyd was sad that anyone could have thought he had changed so much over those six years to be anything but extremely happy. But, for now, he was still confused.

"Is that…Is that even possible?" he questioned.

"Excuse me?" replied Colette, looking a little put out.

"I mean, with you being an angel and all, and him being human, I mean, can it happen in the first place?"

"Well, apparently so," scoffed Colette, sarcastic and a little self-righteous, both of which were exceedingly unusual for her. She must have been offended by his reaction, and Lloyd realized it.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Colette, I forgot to congratulate you!" corrected Lloyd, feeling a little self-conscious at his inappropriate response. "One child, and another on the way! That's so wonderful. I'm so very happy for you, forgive me, I was just so surprised, I…I didn't know how to react."

Colette immediately relaxed. "Thank you so much, Lloyd, I was afraid you would be mad at me for not being able to come, or for not telling you, or something." Lloyd waved the first one off, but inquired further into the second.

"I understand that you didn't want to be the unique one in the party the only one with other people depending on you, and you didn't want all the press, but still, you know that we'd be so, so happy for you, right?"

Colette nodded. "I know, but it's just that, Clancy and I have been keeping this sort of under the table for so long that it's hard to violate that, even with my best friends in the world. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you, Colette. I understand." Lloyd leaned back in his chair, pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, mentally laughing at the idea of Colette with a family. "So, your daughter, tell me about her. I love children. What's her name?"

Colette smiled bashfully. "Her name is Angela."

"Appropriate," laughed Lloyd.

"It's hard to tell at this point, but Phiadra says that she has my smile, and she definitely has my hair, even though it's obviously not very long yet. But, her eyes, oh, her eyes are just like Clancy's and I feel the purest joy every time I see them. I miss her so badly," sighed Colette.

Lloyd had never met or even seen Clancy, so he couldn't imagine what his eyes would look like, but he smiled anyway. It was clear that Colette was a very good mother. She had been prepared for taking care of things her whole life. After a moment of appraising Lloyd calculatingly, as if waiting for a question, Colette observed, "I'm surprised you haven't asked me about my age, many people said I was too young."

Lloyd shook his head and stood up. Colette quickly did as well. "Colette, I don't think age matters, only maturity, and ability to handle responsibility. "Maybe you were a bit young, but you're mature enough to sacrifice yourself to save the world, mature enough to realize when a sacrifice is no longer necessary, and willing to take the responsibility of two worlds into your hands. I don't think one child is too much to ask."

"You'd be surprised," replied Colette, making her way out from around the table. They both laughed.

"So," asked Lloyd, becoming serious again, "Who else knows? Obviously some people in Iselia…Wait, who's taking care of Angela? Only Clancy, or someone else? I mean, I suppose with all the gald we accumulated over the journey of world regeneration, plus your newfound celebrity, you wouldn't really have to work, but I'm curious."

Colette smiled at his barrage of questions. "Phiadra is taking care of Angela right now, and no, Clancy doesn't work as a farmer or anything, but he owned a shop in Palmacosta, and he wants to reopen it in Iselia once everyone is settled. Right now though, he's still helping the village accommodate the refugees. As for who else in the party knows…well, er…Sheena does, because I was sharing a room with her when I started feeling nauseas in the mornings, and I would occasionally accidentally wake her up on my way to the bathroom. I had to tell her so that she wouldn't be concerned. Raine certainly suspects, but other than that no one. Regal perhaps sees that there is something strange going on, but he doesn't have any idea as to what, I think."

"Well, that clears things up," replied Lloyd nodding. "It also explains why Sheena was acting so strangely last night." In the entrance hall, he heard the elevator door swoosh open, and Genis' voice discussing something loudly with Regal. "I'm assuming you're planning on telling everyone," guessed Lloyd. Colette said nothing, but nodded firmly with her eyes closed, steeling herself to once again spill her secrets. "Do you want me here, for support?" asked Lloyd. Colette thought for a moment, gazing up and to the right, but replied,

"No, I think I'll be okay. Sheena will be there, and you still haven't had breakfast." She motioned at the uneaten eggs on the table.

"Whoops," laughed Lloyd. "I guess there was just too much excitement to concentrate on anything else." His stomach growled, angry that it had been forgotten.

"It's okay," replied Colette. "But the eggs are cold now. You should go check out the restaurant that everyone else went to. I've heard it really is excellent."

"Well," said Lloyd. "I'm so very, very happy for you, especially as I can see that you're happy too." Colette smiled and nodded, and Lloyd pulled her into a short, but firm embrace.

"Thank you for understanding," she whispered. And with that, they broke apart, and both walked into the front hall. Everyone looked up as they walked in. Sheena glared at Lloyd with a trace of suspicion. He nodded at her and exhaled, looking to everyone.

"I'm going to go get breakfast," he announced abruptly, and strode into the elevator, feeling slightly awkward. Everyone's eyes followed him, until the doors began to swing shut, at which time they refocused their attention on Colette. Lloyd missed everything else though, as the elevator began to descend. The ride down gave him a necessary few moments to collect his thoughts. He still hadn't completely come to terms with the fact that it was the same Colette that had come on the journey with them six years ago that was now a mother of one, and soon another, but he knew that that probably wouldn't happen until he actually saw her family. Still, he knew that she was definitely right when she assumed that she would not be coming with them. There was no way they could bring her along while she was pregnant, he was sure it would be difficult for her enough without having to save the world.

Lloyd was to deep in thought to realize that when the doors swooshed open, he was not really on the ground floor, and that the elevator had instead stopped on the second floor, to admit an elderly gentlemen. Of course, by the time he had realized his mistake, the doors had shut, and the elevator had slid smoothly off. Lloyd just took the stairs the rest of the way.

As he stepped outside, and breathed in both the fresh sea air and absorbed the warm sunlight, he smiled happily. Despite all of the evil and prejudice in the world, he was still glad to be in it. It truly was a wonderful place. His happiness was obviously for his friend in reality, and not for the world, but that morning it seemed like nothing could get him down.

He walked through the streets of Altamira, and though the city seemed as overhung as most of its residents after the late night. Still, Lloyd slipped happily into the undersized restaurant, and ordered a small omelet, having learned from his experience the first night in Altamira that a small portion in the wilderness and in the lap of luxury were very different things. Sure enough, the omelet he received was much larger than the one he had in mind, and had a few sausages on the side, in addition to some pancakes. Fortunately, he was reasonably hungry, and carved his way through it all, though it took a little effort at the end. The food was indeed good, but it didn't really compare to Genis' or Regal's. Additionally, he found the service insufferable. The waiters would watch and wait for him to take a sip of water specifically so that they could rush over and refill the quarter of an inch that had left his glass. They even replaced his salt shaker once he had used it a few times. Some people might like that, but he preferred to fend for himself. He might have been slightly more forgiving had they been giving the same service to everyone else in the building.

Sighing, Lloyd got up and threw down enough money for the meal and a reasonable, but not extravagant tip. One thing he did prefer about the wilderness and small towns was the fact that people were unlikely to recognize him. Glancing back over his shoulder as he exited, he noticed that there were three waiters cleaning up over him, fighting over who got to take his dishes as other customers waited impatiently for service. Slightly disgusted, and certainly less cheery than when he entered the restaurant, Lloyd made his way back to the hotel.

Nevertheless, as he remembered that Colette now had a young family of her own, he couldn't remain in his sour mood. Glancing at the clock as he reentered, he realized that he had been gone for just over half an hour, which was pretty impressive for a restaurant in busy Altamira. But, of course, he was getting service faster than the "average people". As he re-embarked on the elevator, Lloyd was careful to watch the arrow at the top which point at increasing numbers as he went up. He didn't feel like accidentally getting off on the wrong floor and having to climb stairs again. Fortunately, his elevator was not detoured, and he got off on the right floor, just in time to see the entire party watching Colette with amusingly different expressions.

Sheena's was grim, as she had already known that Colette would need to do this at some point. Raine was nodding in scientific agreement, confirming her suspicions. Regal was stroking his chin, deep in thought. His eyes looked as if they were merely decoration, and his mind wasn't even receiving their input. Presea looked similar to Lloyd, trying to keep the illusion of understanding the earnest gravity of the situation, but too happy for Colette to keep her cheeks and the corners of her mouth from rising slightly every once in a while. When Lloyd looked at Genis, all he could think of was a snake, jaw unhinged and ready to eat something. His jaw was dropped so low that Lloyd had to wonder if he really had broken his jaw somehow while Lloyd was gone, and no one else had noticed.

"So…um…that's…" Colette caught Lloyd's eyes for a second, noticing that he had returned, and forgetting what she was going to say. "That's why…er…" She put her hands on her head, and looked to the ceiling.

"I believe you were talking about the danger of the journey," prompted Raine emotionlessly.

"Oh, that's right," remembered Colette. "Lloyd, when you arrived, I was just saying that…that I couldn't come with you on the journey. I don't want to leave Angela for that long, and I don't want to put my unborn child in any danger. Plus, I think that after a few months…I…I would just become a burden."

Lloyd nodded. "I don't think that someone as wonderful as you could ever become a burden, but other than that, you're absolutely right. We can't put you or your family, present or future, in danger."

Genis shook his head like a dog trying to dry off, closing his mouth at the same time. He laughed once. "Wow…excluding Kratos, who would have thought that out of the four of us to leave Iselia, Colette would be the first one to get lai…" Genis should have considered his proximity to Raine before even considering speaking.

"SMACK!" And Lloyd was immediately very glad that skulls were exceptionally hard and protective bones. The impact of the slap literally sent Genis somersaulting. He did about one and a half, ending up on his head, neck and upper back, his backside in the air.

"-married!" he gasped, as his legs weight swung down and finished the uncompleted somersault, leaving him lying on the floor. "The first one to get married."

Raine grunted, satisfied with her correction. Colette was a little distressed, and Raine was as self-assured as ever, but no one else could resist a laugh, even normally stony Regal cracked a smile, and let a "Heh," escape his lips.

***

And so it was that after a day of packing, Raine and Colette left for Iselia. Raine had insisted that Colette needed accompaniment, and that she was the most medically qualified to do so. While Colette assured her that she would be fine, and wouldn't fall off her Rheaird or anything like that, most of the party didn't trust her not to do that anyway, let alone if she was pregnant and nauseous.

Raine promised that she would be back in two days, and with a few hugs and farewells, they left launched off, this time away from the setting sun. Lloyd sighed as they left, but this time, no one was as sad as when Zelos had left. Perhaps this time it was because they knew that Colette would be very happy to get back to her family, and that they would be happy to have her back. Also, because this time, they knew that Colette would be completely safe and satisfied. Colette was leaving to warmth, happiness, and safety instead of politics, danger, and confusion. And after all, though they hadn't done exactly what they planned, the reunion had lasted as long as they had originally wanted, and, ironically, without the interference of the Tethe'allan Superiority Group, they would have all parted ways again by now.

As Genis waved goodbye, he bit his lip, then commented to Lloyd, Sheena, and Presea, the only two people left there, (Regal was busy at his headquarters), "You realize what this means, don't you?" Lloyd looked at him confused, but Sheena and Presea seemed to have some degree of understanding. "Heh…sorry to be so…calculating, but, with Zelos neck deep in Meltokion politics, Colette pregnant, and Regal becoming a pacifist and all…if we need to fight…it's only the four of us…and Raine, when she gets back, of course…but, still…other than Lloyd, none of us were exactly the front line in battle."

"Explain…" replied Lloyd, but he was beginning to see what was going on.

"Well, in battles, the people fighting at the front were always you, and Zelos and Regal, remember? Sheena would be up there, but…well, you can't exactly parry an incoming weapon with a deck of cards, so she can't get too close, and Presea has the opposite problem. Her axe is a little too large for close combat." Genis looked around as he said everything, careful not to offend anyone, but all they did was nod, remembering their tactics. "And, well…Raine and I, we were never even near the heart of the conflict. We have always just been spellcasters. It might be even worse with my new weapon, the ball on a chain. It might be useful to protect me, but I can't even come close to the battle without knocking off your heads, and I certainly can't use it inside. The same goes for Presea's axe. Any infiltration mission is going to have to be mostly Lloyd, Sheena, and maybe Raine, though she might not be quite stealthy enough."

Lloyd was nodding in thought to Genis' words, but not for long. His thought trails were interrupted by a loud yell from his right. Startled, Lloyd jumped, but was quickly comforted. "Lloyd the Gr…Lloyd! Sheena! Presea! Genis!" The voice came from a runner from the Lezareno Company who had clearly just avoided calling Lloyd by his title the people had bestowed upon him. The messenger was clearly out of breath as he reached them, but he milked the bottom of his lungs and forced out. "Duke Bryant wishes to see you in his office. Lord Zelos has made a breakthrough." The messenger bent over sideways, panting for breath, trying to regain his composure in front of the world's heroes.

Lloyd glanced to his right and met Sheena's eyes. She nodded and they both bolted off to the Elemental Railway. Both of them being excellent sprinters, Genis and Presea were left coughing with the messenger on the dust they kicked up. They looked at each other for a moment, then with an exclamation, Genis too sprinted off, Presea almost stepping on the backs of his shoes.

For a moment as they ran, Lloyd forgot why he was running at all, and was simply content to keep going, push himself to his limit, skim across the ground, almost as if it was not there at all. He loved the primal thrill of speed, especially when he was the one who generated it. A smile broke out on his face while the wind chopped across his face as he bullied his way through it.

Sheena was barely keeping pace with him, but she looked better as she did it. Though faster than Sheena, he couldn't even hope to match her feminine grace. He ran faster, but he looked more like a cheetah with a limp, instead of a gazelle. He carefully resisted his natural temptation to lean forward as he ran. It did give him more speed, but it also upset his balance, and tended to make him go flying if his foot grazed even the smallest obstruction. It was especially dangerous with the many sharp corners of Altamira.

Lloyd made it to the railway station first, skidded around the corner and stepped onto the slow elevator pad, which gradually lowered him to the ground. Sheena, of course, would have none of this, and as soon as she reached the upper level of the station, she simply vaulted over the banister into the open roofed railway car, topping the move off with a roll to avoid some of the impact. She was greatly pleased, but Lloyd was not amused, as he just barely slipped past the closing door onto the train. By the time they realized that they probably should have waited for Genis and Presea, the train had already began to move, so the two of them washed their hands on the matter.

The thrill of the race forgotten, the two of them disembarked at Lezareno headquarters, and swiftly moved to the elevator. Genis and Presea would have to arrive later. The elevator had been replaced since the last time they visited, and was now much, much faster. Before they could even begin to comprehend where they were, the doors opened with less than a whisper to reveal Regal with his back to them, speaking to a holographic projection of Zelos, like the ones at the Tower of Mana. "I understand, and will speak no more. You should get back to…business." The hologram Zelos noticed Lloyd and Sheena and gave them a smiling nod and a two-fingered salute. Without as much as a word, the hologram winked out.

Regal turned, confused. When he saw Lloyd and Sheena, he started, as if there had been a large sudden explosion. He then sighed, and put his hands on his face. "Forgive me, these new elevators are so quiet, I'm used to guests being welcomed with the harsh sounds of grating machinery, so I'm always surprised when someone is here without them. Hmm…I'll have to work on that. I'd be easy to sneak attack now."

"Regal, what's happening?" asked Lloyd, totally clueless. "Why were you talking to Zelos?"

Regal replied abruptly and briefly, "He didn't say much, in case communications were being monitored, but he wants everyone to Meltokio. Now."

Lloyd and Sheena glanced at each other, intrigued. "Say, where are Genis and Presea?" asked Regal, glancing around the room as if he expected them to pop out from behind some bookshelf. Lloyd and Sheena just rolled their eyes.

**Okay, I promise next chapter is going to have some action…if you all review…**


	9. Chapter 9

And so it was that everyone in the party, except Regal, of course, left Altamira that night. Lloyd, Genis, Presea, and Sheena left in the opposite direction of Raine and Colette, but Regal sent a messenger in a skimcraft, a new mode of transportation developed by the Lezereno Company similar to the elemental cargo craft that Lloyd and his party used, off to Iselia, to tell Raine of the urgency of her return, and inform her of what they knew so far.

Having arrived after Lloyd and Sheena, Genis and Presea got an even less coherent explanation of what had happened, like students showing up halfway through an already confusing lecture. Everyone wanted to know more, but Regal cautioned that, if the Tethe'allan Superiority Group had spies following any of them, they would soon discover what was going on, and Zelos would lose the opportunity to do whatever it was that he wanted to do. With no more explanation than that, they were all hurried into the elevator and ushered onto the sky terrace, where their four Rheiards were conveniently waiting. Regal had, after the second week decided that it would be more useful to keep all of their weapons and armor with the Rheairds, in case they had to leave quickly, and had obviously been right.

"Stay low," cautioned Regal, ushering them onto their Rheiards. "The stealthier your coming, the better. Zelos told you to meet him at the unguarded city entrance. I believe he means the sewers, but was unwilling to say it over the holophone, incase he was being observed." Lloyd was extremely confused, both as to why they were going, and what Zelos needed them for, and looking around, he wasn't the only one. "Start the engines," prompted Regal impatiently. The stressful month was clearly taking its toll on him. Still, being Regal he could never be too irritable.

Feeling like a sailor washed over the safety rail, suddenly thrown from the familiar into the dark currents and tides of the unknown, Lloyd glanced around, but decided that he would just have to talk to Zelos when they arrived in Meltokio. Glad that he had memorized the controls to the Rheaird on their last journey, Lloyd flicked the engine switch with out having to search for it in the gathering dark. As if waiting for his cue, so did everyone else. Regal had obviously made extreme improvements on their machines, as it took Lloyd a moment to realize his was functioning at all. The engine was as quiet as wind rustling a grassy plain. Carefully, Lloyd pulled the Rheaird up off the ground a few feet, enough to clear the fence surrounding the terrace.

Regal glanced over to Altamira. "You'd best go right now, before the lights and gaudeamus illuminate the sky. And Lloyd, everyone, good luck. I hope you won't need it."

Presea nodded at Regal, than turned and nodded at her sister's grave, her manner having reverted, as it did at times of danger and stress, to the way it was on the previous journey. "Let us be off," she stated, and with a whoosh, she accelerated into the night.

Surprised at her sudden rush, Lloyd quickly followed, Sheena and Genis beside him. As always when the ground rapidly changed altitudes under them, as they sped off the building, the Rheiard dropped a few sickening feet before stable again, giving Lloyd a feeling in his stomach like his dinner hadn't been dead after all, and was now trying to escape. Lloyd shook the feeling off though, greatly assisted by the rush of cooling air to his face.

They followed Regal's advice, almost clipping the crests of the oceans waves, like gulls. As Lloyd glanced back at Altamira, suddenly, as the casino flagrantly announced its opening, the countless lights and sounds of the nightlife exploded into existence, like a show of fireworks. Still, if Lloyd squinted closely enough, he could still see Regal, statuesque on the very tip of the tallest building, wishing them all a safe trip, and Lloyd knew that, despite how strong they had become, they were going to need it.

***

They landed a couple of hours later, far enough from Meltokio for them not to be spotted, but still close enough to make it there quickly on foot. The journey had gone fairly well, and although flying low had made them a beacon of attention for one farming village they passed over, other than that, they remained undetected, and Lloyd doubted that any of those farmers had ever even heard of the Tethe'allan Superiority Group, let alone were secretly spies for it.

The ground they landed on was rockier than it looked in the dark, and Lloyd took a spill of his Rheaird while attempting to land. Fortunately, he fell the opposite way of his vehicle, and onto a softer patch of ground. Quickly flipping himself to his feet, Lloyd stowed his craft before it could fall further and damage itself, or run into anyone else.

"Are you alright?" asked Sheena quietly. Lloyd was fairly sure that there was no one for miles around, but the oppressive air of the night's silence was as ominous as Regal's warnings and Zelos' secrecy. All in all, they were in the unknown, and that was something they hadn't dealt with for a while.

Lloyd investigated his condition. "Minor scrape on my left hand, shouldn't impair my fighting, nothing else. I'll be fine. Let's go." Lloyd tried to sound confident, but it was impossible to do when whispering, especially when there was no plausible reason to do so. Sheena nodded, and so did Genis and Presea as Lloyd turned to them. Though there was no desperate need for speed, Lloyd turned and, as quietly as he could, began to run across the long plain. Sheena followed, her feet whisking as silently through the grass as her silk garment across her body. Presea was short, and carrying a heavier weapon, so she was a little slower and louder, but still managed to keep fairly silent. There was no hope for Genis. It was as if he was an awkward thirteen-year old, just barely realizing the implications of what being taller meant. It made Lloyd wonder how long ago Genis had really began growing. He wished that they could have seen each other more often over the six years of their personal quests. Of course, Genis had never been the most physically adept in the group, but he had never been a Colette.

Genis stumbled through the dark rocks and grass as if he had been running for days, and was completely exhausted. The truth was he was just awkward and slightly clumsy, and for a moment, Lloyd was glad that Colette couldn't come. She would not be very effective on a stealth mission. Every once in a while, Lloyd heard Genis swear behind him as he tripped. It was a very odd thing, having known Genis for so well. It just wasn't quite right, like Zelos in a beggar's outfit, or Colette getting drunk. Lloyd couldn't help imagining the occasional profanity slipping from his friend's mouth in a much higher voice. It was slightly amusing, and slightly disturbing.

After an hour or so of relatively fast running, Lloyd realized that perhaps it would have been beneficiary to land closer to Meltokio, with their lights off, no one would have seen them anyway, especially since they were flying low. Still the city loomed ahead in the distance, like a great sleepy beast, the last few lights beginning to go out. Lloyd tried to distinguish the front entrance from the rest of the black mass, because he knew that the sewer entrance was nearby, but far enough away for them to avoid detection from the front guard. It was imperative that they approach from the right angle, so as not to attract too much attention, but not to waste too much time circling around the city.

Lloyd stopped on the top of a hill, about the size of a desert dune, but covered in a short mossy grass that sunk slightly under his footsteps. Within a few strides, Sheena was next to him. She let out one ragged gasp, then straightened up and inhaled deeply through her nose, calming her lungs, forcing them to obey what her brain wanted them to do. Lloyd waited expectantly for Genis and Presea for a few seconds, but he didn't hear them approaching, so he turned back, confused. Presea was only just staggering up a hill a good thirty meters behinds them, Genis fumbling up blindly behind her. At first, Lloyd was surprised, because six years ago, whenever the entire party had to flee, they had always been in at least the middle of the pack, despite Presea's heavy axe. Also, throughout the entire run, he hadn't heard them fall behind or call for him to wait. Of course, that could be because they were too tired to do so. For a moment, he wondered how they could have suddenly become so much slower than him and Sheena. However, when he thought a little more deeply, he realized that neither Genis nor Presea had done particularly strenuous work. He and Sheena had done a good deal of running while on the quest to destroy exspheres, but Sybak academy was purely academic, and while Presea had occasionally had to manually reconstruct buildings in Ozette, more often than not, it was anaerobic activity, when she had to do it at all. She was mostly confined to managing and overseeing the whole process, she had told them.

Waiting a few moments, Lloyd watched Genis and Presea as they practically fell down the hill they had just reached, then stumbled across the short valley between the two miniature peaks, and dragged themselves up to Lloyd and Sheena. Presea pushed herself back to her feet doggedly, but with a cold determination in her eyes, unlike Genis just rolled over to gaze forlornly at the stars, his breathing sounding more like wheezing. Reluctantly, knowing that they needed to get to Meltokio soon, Lloyd decided to take pity.

"We better slow down from here on out," he intoned carefully. "We're close enough that a…er…really, really observant guard might spot us, which would be really suspicious if we were running. So, er, we've got to sneak, but try not to look like your sneaking, in case the guard sees you. Four travelers arriving in the middle of the night is suspicious enough." Genis made no move to get up, his eyes closed as if he hadn't heard Lloyd at all, so Lloyd sighed. "And I guess we better take a breather right now too." Sheena looked up at him amusedly and let allowed a silent chuckle to pass her smiling lips.

After a minute or two, Genis winced and pushed his top half off the ground, and then reluctantly, forced himself up on his legs, staggering back a step or two, as if just learning to walk. Lloyd was glad, he was beginning to fear he was going to have to forcefully hoist Genis up, carry him, or leave him there, and honestly, he wouldn't be able to decide which to do. So the group of them set off once more into the night, although only Sheena took seriously the command to sneak, but even that was debatable, because she always looked like she was sneaking. Genis and Presea were about as effective at sneaking as a papal knight in his metal suit of armor. Fortunately, one of the guards at the front gate lit a lantern about five minutes after they started up again, showing them where the main entrance was, and allowing Lloyd to approximate how close they could safely come to the city gate, and the location of the sewer.

They arrived at the entrance to the sewer, a black void, like a beast's mouth, ready to swallow them. If they hadn't already been there before, it would be a very ominous place, especially at night. Meltokio had obviously been making some structural improvements to the city, and the wooden barrier that separated the sewer from the open wilderness had been replaced by a chicken wire fence. It was higher than Lloyd could stealthily climb, and it looked like it rattled. Glancing nervously at the guards near the front entrance, Lloyd wrenched Flamberge out of its sheath, watching as the flaming blade ripped through the fence as if there were nothing there at all. In one smooth motion, Lloyd continued the slash back down, sheathing Flamberge as a smooth finale. He then cautiously pushed the two sides of the torn fence apart and slipped through. The back of his suspenders caught for a second on the jagged metal, but he quickly freed himself. Genis and Presea warily followed him, but they had more trouble getting through the thin rip silently. Lloyd winced as Genis fell through, his foot caught in the fence. The loud rattling had startled one of the guards at the front gate, and he was now looking their way. Fortunately, Lloyd's party wasn't carrying any lights, and Presea had wisely covered her bright hair in a dark hood. The guard shook his head and returned to his post. Sheena glanced at Lloyd skeptically.

"You think that silk clothes are getting past those wires?" she scoffed. Lloyd shrugged, peeved that she thought her apparel important enough to get in the way. "Huh…I'll just go over."

"Wait!" hissed Lloyd, sincerely hoping the guards weren't listening, but his fear was irrational. With less sound than a fly landing on a wall, she was over, standing beside him. Lloyd had to admit he was impressed, but he didn't feel like showing it right now, so he just nodded and turned to the sewers. Putting his hand on the side of the arch, Lloyd slowly stepped into the black mouth of the sewer. Inside, he knew that they could risk a light, but he didn't want to try until he was safely in and around at least one corner. Lloyd extended his other hand in front of him, searching for the bars that were the sewer's entrance. His knuckles bumped one, and moving his hand to the left, he grasped one, feeling the cool steel chilling his hand. It was lest rusted than he remembered. Grabbing the bar with his other hand, he moved a little to the left to find the opening. He touched another bar, than took that one into his hand, probing for the invisible entrance.

"I can't find the opening!" whispered Lloyd, as his hands brushed a crossbar. They didn't have those before, he realized, and then it hit him. "They've replaced the bars! We can't get in anymore!"

"Now what are we going to do?" questioned Genis, "How will we get through to Zelos in time?"

"I could certainly smash my way through these bars…" mused Presea, who Lloyd realized, with a start, was standing right next to him. He couldn't see her in the dark, and couldn't hear her footsteps over the sounds of the night. "But it would without doubt alert the guards."

"Same with me…" agreed Genis. "I could blast through pretty quietly, but the flash of light could probably be seen at the other end of the sewers…" Lloyd glanced over to Sheena, Genis and Presea.

"I suppose it's not absolutely necessary we remain undetected…" suggested Sheena. "I mean…all of this stealth and secrecy is only in case the Tethe'allan Superiority Group has lookouts, and I seriously doubt they've so secure that even the city guard is working for them. I mean, they seem to me more like a group of scientists, not political schemers."

"Still," countered Lloyd, "What if the guards hear us, but don't recognize us, think us as spies or infiltrators and attack? I don't want to hurt them. And what if Zelos wants us to stay for a little while in the city while undetected? What if he needs planning time, or wants us as his secret weapon? I doubt the guards could keep their mouths shut about seeing us for even one day, and it could take weeks to plan an assault. You know what they say about rumors in Meltokio." Everyone nodded wearily, familiar with the old saying. _"If rumors were plagues, every Meltokion housewife would be dead in a week."_

"Well, what are we supposed to do then?" asked Sheena. "I suppose I could probably scale these walls and find Zelos to tell him we're stuck, but there are sentries at the top famed for good eyes, and better aim, and I don't think I'd have time to explain mysel…"

"Shhh!" warned Genis, ducking quickly to the ground. "I hear footsteps!" Sheena cut off immediately, and Lloyd strained his ears. Sure enough, there were footsteps approaching. There was definitely one pair, but listening closely, Lloyd thought he heard the light footfalls of another, though the first one was loud enough to muffle the other noise under it.

And suddenly, there was a light advancing on the floor, past the great, in the great beast of the sewer's mouth. It was closer than Lloyd had thought, but he now realized that was because the corner was a blind corner into a large chamber, and the sound had to bounce a long way to get back to them. Before he even knew how to react, the creators of the sound and the light rounded the corner, and Lloyd was pleasantly surprised. It was Zelos, and another man Lloyd didn't recognize, but Zelos was whispering something to him, so he was obviously trustworthy.

Zelos looked stressed, especially under the pale, eerie glow of the torch, his hair in a condition of slight disarray, which was almost unheard of for him. Lloyd recalled that Zelos had never particularly liked Meltokion politics, and they were clearly taking their toll on him. Still, as always, he had his signature carefree smile on his face, and looked as if he were having the time of his life, walking through a sewer in the dark. As he noticed their figures, outlined by the moonlight against the sewer grate, his face light up, and all the marks of stress vanished. It looked almost like Zelos was in jail, and was now running eagerly to his visitors, grasping the metal bars.

"It's my bud!" he exclaimed, a little more loudly than Lloyd was comfortable with, especially with the loud echoes of the sewer. "And the little brat! And my good rosebud! And my violent demoni…Sheena!" Sheena smiled and nodded gratefully. "We waited for you for almost an hour, what kept you?"

"We're stuck behind this new grate, and we couldn't figure out a better way to get into the city undetected. That is what you wanted us to do, right?" asked Lloyd, hoping that they hadn't just gone to a lot of effort in vain. Zelos looked down at the grate, as if just realizing that they had replaced it, despite having grasped the bars for quite a while now.

"Yes, that's right, I wanted a stealthy entrance, the Tethe'allan Superiority Group has spies deeper than I initially expected. Now as for this grate…Say…where are my cool beauty? And my little angel?"

Lloyd glanced around at the rest of the party. "Er…we'll tell you later, in a safer location. They're not hurt they're just…otherwise occupied." Zelos looked a little confused that he hadn't received any news, but said nothing. "About this grate…" prompted Lloyd.

"Oh…Oh yeah!" responded Zelos, remembering his former train of thought. Zelos' companion sidled up beside him from the dark. Genis jumped, obviously not having noticed the second person before. "Everyone, this is Taryo, and he should be able to take care of this for us. Right, Taryo?" The man, Taryo, nodded. Lloyd studied him intently for a minute. His most defining feature was easily his hair, dark brown, almost black, and swept forward in front of his face on both sides so far that most of his other features were covered. Lloyd could tell that if this Taryo man wanted to go unrecognized, he could simply reveal his face. His hair was masking every thing that would have made him recognizable, especially in the dark. He had a lean, but muscular build, like a fencer, but less lopsided. What Lloyd could see of his face betrayed no emotion, other than a steely confidence and an unknown power and secrecy that Lloyd wouldn't want to disturb. Taryo took a step back, out of the torchlight, and began to rub his hands together, almost obsessively, as if trying to polish some stain off of them. He did this for almost a minute, getting odd stares from everyone but Zelos.

"Taryo is a member of the Darting Shadows, an expert unit of infiltration and spying. Normally, they only work for the Ateriedis House, but good old Duke Leto believed me and we teamed up. You wouldn't believe how useful these guys are. They're like a political version of the Mizuho. As a matter of fact, it was Taryo that discovered the location of the headquarters of the Tethe'allan Superiority Group on this continent earlier in the week."

"Is that what we're doing tonight?" asked Genis intently.

"Yeah," confirmed Zelos. "Taryo says that this probably isn't their main base, they have signs of perhaps being more focused close to the Ymir Forest, but for this continent, the headquarters is here in Meltokio. Hopefully, there's some incriminating evidence there, either proving that they exist, and are planning unauthorized and dangerous experiments and need to be stopped, or proving a link between them and either the Sybak Magitechnology Development Section or Teren Gargenteth. If we can prove that the Sybak Magi…the S.M.D.S. is being dishonest in it's financial doings, or that Teren Gargenteth is accepting bribes or smuggling materials, we can at least prompt an investigation, which would hopefully delay them enough for us to find out what is going on."

"Ready," interrupted Taryo simply. His voice was very low, but not gruff. Even as Lloyd heard it, he realized that it was not a voice that would carry long distances or betray stealth missions. He stopped rubbing his hands as he spoke and shook them, as if trying to fling off water droplets. As he brought them up, however, Lloyd realized that they were glowing red, and radiating heat so intensely that he could feel it several feet away. But then Taryo cupped his hands, containing all of the heat inside of them, shielding everyone else from the imminent scorching. Wriggling his fingers like a master pianist, Taryo grabbed the tops of a few of the bars and vigorously rubbed his hands up and down across them, as if he was trying to generate heat from friction alone. To Lloyd's amazement, and Genis' unabashed envy, within a few seconds, a lone drop of molten metal oozed from the clenches of Taryo's hands down the long metal bar. Before their eyes, more and more metal began to drip down from Taryo's hands, drops becoming streams, streams becoming cascades. In less than half a minute, Taryo lifted his hands, revealing to glowing red stumps of metal, like cauterized amputated limbs. Moving his hands one bar out, he repeated the process, leaving four bars unconnected to the stone arch above them.

The magic was impressive, especially with such control, but Lloyd could see that Taryo was beginning to tire. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his fore head, dripping down into his swept forward hair, like the molten rivers of metal coursing down the bars. Taryo finished the second set of bars quicker, like a runner pushing themselves harder for the final mile. Shaking his hands rapidly, as if trying to eke out a few last drops of mana, Taryo grasped the crossbars and squeezed each of them quickly, leaving them glowing red.

Taryo stretched out his fingers, each of them as far away from each other as possible and winced, his hands reverting from glowing red to a normal tone. They were completely free of burns, noted Lloyd, wary of this powerful man. Zelos obviously trusted him, but in Meltokio, no one could be trusted.

"I might be able to finish," informed Taryo, "But it would exhaust me, and it is never a good idea to become completely exhausted. There are few circumstances desperate enough to render yourself helpless once they are finished. Now, please, I believe I have done my part. I have heard that you have physical strength and well as skill. Will you please make use of your prowess and bend the bars backwards? They're hot, which should make them more malleable."

Glad he was wearing thick gloves, Lloyd leaned forward against the bars and heaved against them. They bent far more easily than he expected. Zelos grabbed the second and Presea the last. Genis reached for the third, but quickly retracted his hands as he realized that they were still hot enough to singe him. "I agree about the exhaustion thing," grunted Lloyd, bending his bar all the way back. "It wouldn't be a good idea for any of us to get tired too early tonight. We're going to need everyone at their best if we want to infiltrate the headquarters, right?"

Zelos stopped pulling on the second bar rather suddenly, and glanced awkwardly up at Lloyd, then over to Taryo. Taryo simply stared back blankly. "Right?" questioned Lloyd.

"Er…Lloyd, we're not exactly all…er…going," informed Zelos awkwardly, an unusual word to be used around him.

"What do you mean?" asked Lloyd. "Why not?"

"He means exactly what he says," informed Taryo nonchalantly, bending back a third bar, leaving the way open, as Presea had already moved back the fourth bar. "I will not be accompanying you, and neither will Zelos. Neither will the two younger ones, unless I'm mistaken," he continued, motioning to Genis and Presea.

"Excuse me?" replied Genis, looking a little put-out. "Would you be kind enough to elaborate as to why?"

"Certainly," he persisted, not noticing, or at least ignoring Genis' sarcasm. "The code of the Darting Shadows involves infiltration and gathering of information. We do not acquire proof of what we have learned, only suspicions. Our only crime is trespassing, no matter the cause, or the case. What you are planning on doing, though easily morally justifiable, is theft of whatever proof you need, and possibly sabotage, depending on what you need to take. And, as it is with all stealth missions, what could potentially go wrong is infinite, and more crimes could easily be added to your list." He gazed at all of them for a moment. "Additionally, I have already spent too much time with Zelos. In order to maintain secrecy, no member is allowed to report to any one person, other than the current duke of the Ateriedis house more than three times. This is my third. I doubt any of you will see me after I show you where you will be entering."

Lloyd nodded dejectedly. "I guess that's justification enough," he admitted. "But what about everyone else?"

"It is unwise for Zelos to accompany you simply because of his reputation. If any of the others of you were to be caught, it would be an easy matter for Zelos to condemn your actions, and, if circumstances required, publicly, though not privately, renounce any companionship that he has or ever did have with you." Lloyd raised his eyebrows in surprise, but Zelos only nodded at him.

"I know it sounds harsh, but Meltokion politics demand it," sighed Zelos. "If it does happen, I swear by every long, fine hair on my head that it will only be for show, okay?" Lloyd nodded sadly again. This wasn't at all the kind of mission he was used to.

"If Zelos was caught with you, everything any of you have accomplished so far would be entirely lost. The benefits are not worth the risk."

"You still haven't explained why Presea and I can't come!" exclaimed Genis angrily. Taryo seemed surprised both at Genis' anger and at the question itself.

"Frankly, you would both be liabilities," replied Taryo, a bit cruelly. "Neither of you are trained in stealth, which is a fault that Lloyd shares, but the difference is simply your methods of fighting. Genis, your spells are too powerful and flashy for practical stealth combat, should circumstances require it, and Presea, an axe has the same problem, with the added disability of weighing down your steps. In short, you both have too much power, used in methods inadequate for stealth."

Genis tried his best to suppress a grin that was creeping onto his face from the compliment. "I…I guess you're right," he agreed, won over rather easily. Presea simply shrugged.

"You and Presea will accompany Zelos back to his mansion, where you will then put on dress clothes and attend a birthday dinner for Catherine Desperides, daughter of Anton Desperides, a noble of the king's court." He held up a finger to stop Genis' question before it could leave his lips. "You will do this for the sole purpose of providing an alibi for Zelos, should Lloyd and Sheena be caught." Genis smiled again and nodded.

"That sounds fun," murmured Genis, his mind skipping ahead to his imaginings of the party.

"Well, at least someone can keep a positive attitude," laughed Zelos. "Seriously though, we better get going. If you haven't noticed, it's late, very late. So late that it's almost closer to early, next morning. It's very late to show up to a birthday party. If we show up much later, people will get suspicious." He stood there for a moment expectantly, though for what, Lloyd wasn't sure. "Well…come on, we're late!" he exclaimed playfully, grabbing Genis and Presea and pulling them over the bars. Genis yelped as his leg skimmed one of the still cooling bars, but began laughing gaily anyway. They all loped cheerfully off down the sewer. Lloyd smiled at their forms as they faded into the growing dark, but quickly turned back to Taryo.

He had remained impassive the entire time he was not speaking, and even when he had been speaking, it was blandly, just a stream of information with no other purpose. He was clearly very efficient, but Lloyd was secretly glad that he wouldn't be accompanying them for long.

"Let's go," he said. "We have little time for playful frolickings." He turned on his heel, his dark robe swishing as he quickly strode into the dark. Lloyd and Sheena glanced at each other for a moment, apprehensive of what was to come, in that dark, long tunnel. Nonetheless, stepping carefully through the bars to avoid being burned like Genis, Lloyd slipped through, and followed Taryo into the belly of the black beast.

**I had originally planned this and the chapter that's coming next (hopefully this week, maybe by Sunday) to be one chapter together, but then I realized how ridiculously gigantic it would be. It would be longer than the entirety of some of my other fanfictions. Plus, you guys deserve an update. (Especially if you review!)**


	10. Chapter 10

Following the muffled noises from down the long black pipe, Lloyd felt a pang of fear, and jealousy of Genis and Presea, who got to go and party and create an alibi for Zelos. He was surprised how quickly it became pitch black in the low ceilings of the sewer. He had to trust only his quick instincts and the uniformity of the stone tiles to keep him from tripping. He sincerely hoped that they didn't run into any monsters of the sewer like last time. He didn't feel like fighting in the dark, especially with a large river of filthy water flowing beneath them. It would not be pleasant to fall into, and Lloyd was sure being wet and smelly would endanger the stealthy nature of the mission.

Lloyd quietly voiced his fears to Sheena. "Aren't you worried we'll…run into something? Like…you know…a wall, or some of those creatures we ran into last time, remember?"

"I doubt it," she replied. "Four or so years ago, Meltokio went through a major effort to improve its sewer systems, after monsters kept seeping up into the city. They almost completely redid everything, which is probably why they replaced the grate. They've exterminated every kind of sewer monster, except for maybe the mice and rats. I think we'll be okay."

"Talking is ill-advised," intoned Taryo simply, and they fell into silence. They remained that way for longer than Lloyd could tell without the aid of the sun. In constant darkness, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. After what he later discovered to be an hour and a half, Lloyd detected something was different. He didn't realize what it was until a millisecond before it was too late. Taryo's near silent footsteps had ceased, and Lloyd only barely stopped in time to avoid smashing into him. He felt Sheena do the same thing behind him.

"Directly above you is a manhole leading to a little known area of the slums. You will continue as directly north as possible along the roads until you pass house marked by a crack roughly the shape of the city of Meltokio as viewed from above. At that house, you will turn east and continue two houses. Scale the third house however you see fit. There will be a board on the roof that you will use to move across to the only house that the board can reach. Crawl across the board to whichever house it can reach, and you will be on the roof of the Meltokion Superiority Society's headquarters in Meltokio. Get through the roof to the top floor in whatever manner you deem prudent, and then retrieve whatever information you need and leave. Do not return to Zelos' mansion for at least a day after you garner what you need. I now leave you. Lift the manhole cover in thirty seconds." And with a swish of clothing and nearly silent footsteps, he was gone like the memory of dream.

Overloaded with information, Lloyd didn't begin to count for a few seconds. "Do you remember all of that?" Lloyd whispered to Sheena.

"Maybe…" she ventured.

"What the heck does Meltokio look like from above?" demanded Lloyd quietly of whoever had come up with that idea for a cue.

"Didn't you see it on your way in on the Rheiard?" she replied.

"No!" Lloyd replied, feeling a little self-righteous. "Who would pick out something like that? Did you?" Sheena quickly shut up.

After a few seconds of contemplative thought, she responded. "I might know…it looks sort of like…a…a blob…with horns?"

"Not very helpful," laughed Lloyd.

"Yeah, well at least it's something!" Lloyd could easily imagine her blush.

"I think it's been thirty seconds," smiled Lloyd, as he reached up and lifted the manhole cover, tossing it to the side of the street. With the sudden flood of light, he realized that he was standing much closer to Sheena than he had thought. He couldn't tell how close she had been previously, because they had been whispering. Their faces were only a few inches apart, Sheena's head a little lower than his, as she was shorter. Sheena looked up at his face, taken aback at their proximity, neither of them exactly sure what to do in this potentially awkward situation. They stood like that for a few seconds, breathing deeply, neither of them exactly sure how to proceed. Now that he noticed, Lloyd wondered how he hadn't realized it before. They were close enough that he could feel her body heat subtly warming his front, her breath tickling his chin. Lloyd felt his heartbeat increasing, his breathing gradually speeding up.

Sheena seemed to be experiencing similar symptoms, a deep blush painting her smooth cheeks. She too, seemed embarrassed at this strange accidental scenario, but remained in place, staring into Lloyd's eyes, and he couldn't help but stare back into the bottomless abyss of her dark oak pair. They seemed to absorb him, encompass him in their depths. It was like he was peering at the edge of the pool of her soul, and had leaned too far over the edge, and fallen toppling in.

There was something happening between them, Lloyd realized, his brain only half-functioning. The already narrow distance was closing, though Sheena didn't seem to be moving, and he was certain that he wasn't. It was as if the floor had gotten it into its figurative head to push the two of them closer together, and neither of them was resisting. Sheena's eyes were sliding closed, her mind moving from things she saw and perceived, to things that were purely feelings and sensations. Lloyd felt himself unconsciously doing the same.

But to his great shame, Lloyd was not up for it. Startled by a sudden scratching far off in the tunnel, he lurched backwards, ending the moment suddenly. Sheena stumbled forwards, her eyes completely closed, jabbing one foot forward to stop her momentum.

Scratching the back of his head ruefully, Lloyd decided that he needed to say something, to clear the air. "I…I guess that was one of the rats they can't exterminate," Lloyd laughed nervously.

"I guess," sighed Sheena, her face remaining pointed at Lloyd's though her eyes were still closed. "We should probably go…it's been more than thirty seconds." Opening her eyes and shaking herself to loosen up muscles, she leapt upwards to the open hole in the arch, a literal light at the end of the dark and unpleasant tunnel. Wriggling a bit, she managed to force herself up. Lloyd was glad that she went first, because he was no where near as graceful with his leap, only barely catching on to the top, and awkwardly heaving his weight up until it rested on his forearms. He struggled to get a foothold, flailing his legs wildly, like a fish out of water, but he could find no purchase on the slick stone arch below. Smiling sadly, Sheena took him under his arms and pulled him up.

"Thanks," murmured Lloyd, still feeling extremely awkward, and glad that it was dark outside, or else his burning cheeks would be even more obvious. "Umm…So…which way is north? I can never remember all of those cues. Even after living in a forest for my entire youth, I can't remember which side of a tree the moss grows on."

Sheena did not laugh, but the corners of her mouth lifted just a tad, which Lloyd was glad to see. She seemed more forlorn than furious, which was what he was afraid of. He had seen what happened to Zelos. Sheena turned her back to him and selected a metal streetlight. It looked out of place in the poor mud-brick buildings that surrounded them, and had obviously been placed by the government, or some noble seeking the favor of the general populace. Sheena grabbed the pole in her hands and, placing the balls of her feet on the metal, quickly scaled it.

"The palace is the tallest building in Meltokio by royal decree," she explained, "and it's on the south side of the city, so, unless we are much further south than I think…" Her eyes selected the palace from the other dark silhouettes, and she swung around and off the pole, landing on the ground as lightly as a cat, absorbing most of the impact on her legs, which bent quickly at the knees to avoid injury, and her left arm, which she placed in front of her to stop her forward momentum. "…that way!" she informed Lloyd, pointing over and past his shoulder.

Lloyd couldn't help but note the grace with which she landed. "You…you are very acrobatic," he complimented.

Sheena smiled at his slightly awkward and rather evident observation. "Thank you," she replied. "May I ask…what prompted this…compliment?" Lloyd shrugged.

"Well, it's true, and I don't know if I've ever told you, that's all." Sheena's smile grew.

"Thank you again," she laughed ostensibly forgetting or ignoring, at least temporarily, what had occurred before. "But we need to get going. I doubt the first few houses have any Meltokio-shaped cracks in them, or he would have told us to just go five houses down, or whatever, it can't be too far, because there's not all that much time until dawn, so we've got to move quickly." She turned briskly, waited for a few seconds, then twisted her neck to face him. A large, playful smile was plastered across her face. "I'll race you for the first part," she laughed, and took off.

He smiled after her, giving her a few seconds head start. As he watched her lithe form dance across the rough cobblestones, he couldn't help but feel an unexplained sense of…satisfaction, was the closest emotion he could describe, and he didn't know why. Shaking his head and resolving to think about his confused emotions later, he sprinted after her.

He quickly caught up with her, and tagged her on her shoulder, flying by. He got away almost scot-free, but a protruding stone made him stumble and almost fall, which gave Sheena enough time to return the favor. He soon caught her again, and began the process again. He clearly had the advantage for the first couple minutes, but as she narrowed the gap, he realized that while he had raw speed, she had finesse and endurance that he couldn't match, and she quickly gained the lead. After a minute or two more, she had to pause and wait for him to make sure he didn't get lost. It was then that they mutually decided that the game of tag was over, and it was time to begin looking for the Meltokio-shaped crack in a house. In the next half hour, they made no progress, although Lloyd saw one that he was absolutely sure fit Sheena's description of "a blob with horns". Sheena argued that the horns were lopsided, but climbed the building anyway to appease him. There was no board, and several buildings that could easily be jumped to anyway, so they agreed that it must be further, or, in the worst case scenario, behind them.

Lloyd's earlier giddy mood was dampening as he walked through the slums of Meltokio, and observed the living conditions. He had never been one to tolerate injustice or the degradation of human beings, and the slums were chock full of both. Most of the lower class was in their homes, but the unlucky ones had to settle for sleeping on the street. After seeing a few too many of them, Lloyd decided that he had to act, and began stealthily placing gold coins on or near them. Sheena looked a little strangely at him when he started, but quickly gained understanding, and did not inquire further. His celebrity had earned him more than he could ever use.

The buildings in the slums made their search even harder. Most of them were in poor condition, some of them clearly unlivable, despite being obviously inhabited. Most of them were so saturated in cracks that Lloyd couldn't tell what layer of the wall he was looking at. Even worse were the streets themselves. Meltokio was not exactly a planned city, and streets spread out like the thin veins the scattered out from the impact zone of a stone thrown at a glass window. There were a few occasions in which they weren't sure which street was more directly north, a dilemma that was not aided by the fact that Sheena couldn't recall whether the massive palace was actually on the south-south east or south-south west side of the city.

And yet, when they found what they were looking for, it was incredibly obvious. The building that housed the crack they were looking for was in decent condition, some of the outer layers of the bricks flaking, but other than that, completely average. The only thing that brought their attention to it was the fact that they were looking for irregular cracks in the first place, and the large stone lying in the middle of the road. It looked like someone had hurled the stone at the wall for some reason, presumably anger. The large stone now lay abandoned on the ground, the wall dented by its momentum.

"Sheena," motioned Lloyd, drawing her attention to where he was looking. "This looks kind of like a blob with…whoa…" The image of the crack on the wall reeled in his gaze like a fisherman. He found he couldn't look away, now that he saw the secret.

"What?" she asked, drawn in by curiosity.

"Look at the detail!" marveled Lloyd.

"You're right," replied Sheena. "This is definitely it. That's almost exactly what Meltokio looks like from above."

"No, not that," scoffed Lloyd. "That's ordinary. Look at the bottom of the crack. Do you see that one circular flake that's by itself surrounded by a large area with fewer cracks?" Lloyd hovered his finger over it, but the natural tendency of hands to shake and vibrate a little made him unsure if she could tell which one he was pointing to. Sheena nodded nonetheless, not seeing his point. "That's the palace, and there's the cathedral, right next to it. These must be the noble quarters, see how they're larger flakes than most?" Lloyd counted flakes. "That one right there is Zelos', see?"

"Wow…" wondered Sheena in awe. "You're right…And look! Each of these cracks here leading to the slums…each of these represent a street…which means we're…right here!" She laughed in disbelief at the ridiculous accuracy of the Meltokion crack.

"How did they do this?" ventured Lloyd cautiously.

"Magic…" breathed Sheena, but as Raine was absent, she needed to assume the role of the practical one. She shook her head clear. "No, come on, we have to go. I'd guess there's under an hour until the sun rises. We have to get out of here quickly."

"What?" exploded Lloyd, incredulous. "How can you tell?"

"You see the mountains to the east? There's a faint light seeping over them. We don't have long." Lloyd couldn't see it, but he trusted her enough to believe it.

"The sun seems to be our enemy in this quest," he observed blandly. Sheena laughed in agreement, and they both jogged off to the east two houses.

The street east was a heavy downhill slope, rough and rugged, almost as bad as a mountain trail. The houses here were all of varied heights, between one and four stories, though all were of a similar low quality build. Lloyd was amazed that some of them were able to stand. Fortunately, the third house, the one that the two of them were supposed to scale, was only two stories, and looked reasonably sturdy. Lloyd was a bit concerned by the distance between that roof and the roofs of the adjacent houses, but he decided that he wouldn't worry until they saw the length of the board that the Darting Shadows had left them.

As soon as she identified which building they were supposed to climb, Sheena began to run straight at it with speed significant enough that for a moment Lloyd was afraid she was going to smash into the wall, but as her ninja status denoted, she was too skilled for that. She instead kicked off the wall, gaining far more vertical height than she could normally jump, jammed her hand in a crack in the building and flipped herself upwards and around onto a protruding beam. She laughed at Lloyd's look of skepticism. "Do you really expect me to do that?" he mock demanded. Sheena reached down and took Lloyd's forearm, pulling him up the wall, as he struggled to help with his feet and his other hand. As he mounted the beam, Lloyd realized two things.

First, there was another story to climb, and this one looked even more difficult. Secondly, as the beam they stood on was very short and narrow, he was once again standing much closer to Sheena than he normally would. So close in fact that their torsos were pressed together. One corner of Sheena's mouth rose in a sad smile, acknowledging that they were in a similar position to their earlier confrontation in the sewer. Reluctant to move dramatically for fear of losing his balance or pushing Sheena off, Lloyd cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Er, how are we going to get to the roof?" he questioned, trying to distract himself from the warmth coming from both Sheena's body and his face.

"Put your hands down, give me a boost," instructed Sheena calmly. Pressing his back against the mud brick wall so as to give Sheena as much room as he possibly could, he made a cup with his hands. She lightly stepped on his hands, then onto his shoulder, and as always she surprised him, weighing much less than he expected. She just barely grabbed the top of the roof with her fingertips, and for a frightening moment, Lloyd thought she was going to plummet to the street below, but she regained her composure and shifted her weight to her hand, then brought one foot up to the roof, hooking it with her heel. She lurched over the wall and laughed. "That was fun!" she laughed.

"Great!" replied Lloyd. "Now can you help me up?" She smiled and extended her hand back down. This time she was far enough away that he couldn't grab her arm, and could only reach her hand by stretching upwards as far as he could. She leaned a little further, and with a lunge, grabbed his hand.

"Got you!" she exclaimed. To his great surprise, as their hands clasped, Lloyd felt in the pit of his stomach as if the beam had broken and he was falling. It felt almost exactly like he had missed a step in the dark, but for some reason, this time it was a good feeling.

Blinking twice to clear his head, Lloyd grabbed the nearest feature of the wall and placed his feet against it, pushing himself up. After much noisy heaving and hauling that would probably be frowned upon by members of the Darting Shadows, and probably some of the more orthodox members of the Mizuho. It was thoroughly unstealthy. Sheena laughed and fell backwards as he finally got a handhold strong enough to launch himself off the wall. She toppled over onto her back, and Lloyd almost followed, but staying true to his battle instincts, he turned his motion into a roll that almost, but not quite, sent him flying off the other edge of the building.

Smiling, Lloyd inquired, "So where's the board? This is the right house, I assume. I don't think we counted wrong, and there's no way that rendering of Meltokio was a coincidence."

"Hmmm…" Sheena glanced around. The roof was covered in dust and hay, and was thoroughly boardless. "Maybe they…hid it…for some reason."

"Probably to keep their secrecy. You can't leave evidence as incriminating as a board of wood out in the open," suggested Lloyd sarcastically. Sheena smiled again. They were both in surprisingly bright moods for a late night stealth mission. "But seriously, there aren't many places one can hide a long board on an open flat space like this roof. Remember, he told us we were going to be sliding across on this so it's got to be pretty strong."

"Yeah, and long too, these houses' roofs are pretty far apart," agreed Sheena. "It couldn't fit under any of the hay, so I don't think we need to bother…ah…there it is!" she exclaimed, pointing to the raised edges of the roof. There was indeed a board there, but it was part of the houses construction, the top was even plastered over. Sheena sighed in exasperation at his glance of skepticism. "Come on, don't you see it?" she urged. "Yeah, it's plastered over, but it's clearly more recent. I'm not even sure it's dry yet. They must have pretended to be repairing the roof in order to place the board without suspicion. Come on, I'll prove it to you, help me pull the board out of the wall."

Lloyd shrugged, but as he grabbed the other side of the board, he had to admit that Sheena was right. The plaster was damp, and was barely even plaster. It felt more like child's clay, it was so easy to separate from the wall and the board. They soon held an approximately ten foot long board between them.

"Well, which building do you think we can reach?" inquired Sheena. "They all look pretty far away."

"I'd hazard a guess at…the one behind you?" proffered Lloyd, slightly doubtfully.

"Really?" questioned Sheena, looking back.

"Yeah," replied Lloyd, feeling a little more confident in his choice now. "See that little uneven ledge coming off the end of our building? It looks like the perfect shape to slot a board in if you didn't want it to fall off!" Sheena was still a bit unsure, but he prodded her with the end. "Come on, it doesn't hurt to try." She nodded in agreement and got on the side of the board so that Lloyd could walk forward without pushing her off. He pushed the end of the board off the edge, careful not to drop his part, lest the board overbalance and clatter loudly to the ground below. The board was heavier than he expected, and he had to be careful to not let the heavy end slip out of his hands. He was the unlucky soul at the end of an ever lengthening lever, almost lifting him off the ground. Fortunately, Sheena realized his struggle and quickly added her weight to the occasion, which allowed him to push the other end of the board to a rest on top of the adjacent house. As he had hypothesized, the end of the board he was carrying fit perfectly into a slot at the edge of the roof, greatly stabilizing it.

Sheena complimented Lloyd, "Nice guess,"

Lloyd complimented himself, "I'd call it an acute observation." He sniffed rather regally, (which is not to say like Regal, rather to say it was a rather royal sounding sniff).

"Well, let's not call it anything anymore," nodded Sheena. "Now it's serious. Now we really have to be quiet." She took a breath to steel herself, then volunteered, "I'll go first. Come after me once I'm safely to the other side. I don't trust this board to support both of us." Lloyd nodded in silent agreement. It didn't look very trustworthy. The wood was unsanded, thin, and of dubious quality. He expected to reach the other side on his chest, with splinters dragged all down his front, but Sheena had another way to do it. She simply leapt onto the narrow beam, not more than a few inches thick and cantered to the other side as if on a balance beam, arms outstretched and everything.

"Sheena!" Lloyd exclaimed in worry. It wasn't too far of a fall, but any drop in the dark, especially onto rough and uncertain cobblestones wasn't to be desired. A sprained ankle was the best result possible. Of course, he had no need to worry at all, because, as a Mizuho ninja, and a woman with extraordinary balance, she made it to the other side easily, upon which she turned and questioned,

"What? What's wrong?"

"Umm…" Lloyd shrugged awkwardly. He had obviously underestimated her abilities. "I guess I was just worried you were going to fall. I guess I just forgot that you were a ninja."

Sheena laughed. "That's a pretty major thing to forget. But you're right not to worry. I could backflip across this board and this roof without a second thought."

"Well, I don't know if it's a good idea in the dark…" replied Lloyd sensibly. "Especially with such shoddy workmanship on these houses. I think I'll stick to crossing on my chest, okay?"

"That wouldn't work so well with my…er…light garments. They're very flexible, but they'd get torn easily. I disagree with you about the houses though. They feel very sturdy. I think I could jump around on them safely, see?" she asked, testing the spring in her feet and the clay edge to the roof she stood on, about to prove herself wrong. With a remarkable bound, Sheena launched herself into the air, bending her arching her head and back over her center of gravity, then quickly pulling in her knees for the spin. She easily had her feet around in time to catch herself, but the roof was not so willing to do the same. With a shout, she crashed through the hay, stick and mud brick roof to the floor below.

"Sheena!" cried Lloyd, disregarding his own advice and taking a flying bound halfway across the narrow board, which slid off of the building that he had leapt from. Before it could fall however, Lloyd had completed his hurdle between the two roofs and landed on the other end of the board, where his weight as leverage flipped the board up, smacking him in the back and into the same hole Sheena had fallen into, its jagged edges welcoming him like teeth into a dark pit he could not see the bottom of. To his surprise and dismay, there was no intermediate level separating the second-story roof from the ground level floor, sending him plummeting for a longer time than he expected. Even the floor was dark-colored, so he couldn't see it until it was just a few feet from his rapidly descending face, giving him barely enough time to shove his arms and legs in front of him to absorb the impact. His muscles tensed quickly enough to keep his face in a generally human shape, and not the shape of the smooth floor. To his surprise, he found that he had landed well enough to avoid any major injury, and minor and uninhibiting bruises were the worst he had suffered.

It was then that the ill-willed plank that had already once slapped Lloyd's back decided that it hadn't had enough, and rotating through the air, slammed once more into Lloyd's slowly arising form, the flat side perfectly aligned with his spine, hammering him effectively back to the ground, and knocking out all vestiges of air from his suffering lungs.

"Are you alright?" a slightly concerned, thoroughly amused voice sounded behind him. Lloyd recognized it as Sheena's, but she was speaking louder than would befit her during a stealth mission, especially since they had only begun the infiltration.

"Y…yes..." Lloyd forced passed his spasming lungs.

"It's funny," remarked Sheena. "Normally when I fall into a pit, I'm the one who gets hurt, not anyone else. You seem to be the exception."

"You're not injured are you?" interrogated Lloyd. "I did warn you about the backflip."

"I'm fine," assured Sheena. "I've had practice. You on the other hand, need to fall in more holes." Lloyd shot her a contemptuous glare, which only made her grin.

"Well, I guess we better get ready for a fight," coughed Lloyd, pushing himself to his feet, Sheena helpfully hauling him up from beneath his arms. He blinked twice to clear his head, and to his surprise that he was, for as long as adrenaline pumped through his system, almost completely painfree. "There's no way that our little commotion didn't wake up everyone in the entire neighborhood, let alone the building."

"I don't know," mused Sheena, "These walls look pretty soundproof." Glancing around for the first time, Lloyd realized to his surprise where he was. The entire room was made of a steely metal, though it was darker, almost black, which was part of the reason Lloyd found his landing so unexpected. Even the roof was composed of this strange material, but, as he realized he and Sheena had had the misfortune of crashing through the only vent in the room, which now lay desecrated by dirt and hay in the other corner. Lloyd quickly realized that their mission was quickly switching from stealth to hit and run. No matter how much they hid or spread the dirt and hay that had crashed in with them, it stood out in this smooth metallic, inorganic room like mud on a bridal gown.

"Well, there's no way we're going to hide this mess we made, so we better get going…now where do we go?" His inquiry was eased by the fact that there were only two ways move through the room, excluding their rather creative entrance. One door led in the direction of the street and was outfitted with a heavy lock and what looked like ominously like a large battery. Lloyd shuddered to think what had happened if they had tried the front entrance, and made a mental note not to go bursting through any doors that he hadn't obtained entry to. The other door looked less fortified than the first, but Lloyd could tell that it was several inches thick of their strange metal, which he had a feeling would not be easy to cut. A foot or so to the left and slightly above, there was a keypad, as real and immovable as any human sentry.

"Oh no…" groaned Sheena. "What are we going to do now? It's too late to turn back now. This was our only chance. They know we're after them now, and will quadruple security…we've got to get past this and quickly! But how? I've heard that if people press the buttons often enough, then those ones get worn down…but I don't know how many mistakes this allows before lockout…or worse…and I doubt that such a rich and secure organization would go long without changing its passcodes…" Lloyd had never understood technology and this was only baffling him more. He might as well be a monkey for all the sense Sheena was making to him, and naturally his eyes began to wander around the room.

"It...the…wait…maybe…the one looks different…" hazarded Sheena. "A one is probably in the code…but where? And how many times? What do you think Lloyd?"

"I think it's the two middle digits," answered Lloyd happily. "And the first is a four, and the last is a seven."

"What?" Sheena raised her eyebrows. "Why on earth do you…" but Lloyd only pointed at the board that had fallen after him, pummeling his back. Ingrained in tiny but clear numbers on the thin side, were the digits 4117. A grin slowly spread across her face as she rapidly turned back and punched in the code. "I guess I should have known our friends at the Darting Shadows wouldn't let us in blind, would they?"

Her finger darted for the enter button, but Lloyd stopped her. "Wait!" he exclaimed.

"What?" she replied, her finger hovering.

"I…um…are you sure you want to press that?" he asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, of course, why not?" she replied, confused.

"Er…well," Lloyd palmed the back of his neck, as he commonly did when uncomfortable. "You saw the battery trap on the front door, aren't you worried the same thing will happen here?" Sheena raised one eyebrow, arching above her dark chocolate eye like a bridge over night waters.

"Lloyd, it's not like we have a choice. If the Darting Shadows are trying to betray us, then we're already doomed anyway."

"Well, yeah," Lloyd agreed, "But you heard Taryo. He waited a week before coming to Zelos to protect secrecy and avoid suspicion. The code could have changed in that week; in which case, you're dead if you press that button."

"I guess that's a risk we'll have to take. Like I said, we don't have an alternative." She raised her finger to press the button, but Lloyd gently pressed her hand out of the way.

"All I was suggesting is that I press it, instead of you," he informed her. Her other eyebrow joined the first in the elevator position. "N…not to be protective or anything!" Lloyd explained rapidly. "I, I'm just wearing gloves and boots which would help to…er…divert the…um…the…uh…the shock," he finished lamely.

Sheena shrugged in mock defeat with both her shoulder and her hands raising them to shoulder level, appealing to an invisible audience, but she stepped back nonetheless. Lloyd took her place in front of the keypad. He had halfway convinced himself with his own arguments, and now partially expected his last action to be sending his own death order to the battery trap, his last sight the thoughtless, lifeless keypad. _"What a lame last sight." _The thought popped unbidden into his head, along with, _"And what a lame last thought," _as he jabbed the button and jumped back.

The door swung smoothly open, revealing a descending spiral staircase. Gritting his teeth, Lloyd glanced up at Sheena, who was staring cavalierly back, her arms crossed under her buxom chest, biting her lower lip, every thing about her screaming 'I told you so.'

"Well…I guess Taryo was right," laughed Lloyd apologetically. Sheena just rolled her eyes and strode off down the stairs. Lloyd followed her cautiously, swinging his head around the door as he passed it, just to check if there had, in fact, been a trap. The back of the door was blank. He winced and swore silently, but didn't think it tactful to alert Sheena. They descended the staircase together. Lloyd noted how quickly but silently Sheena glided down the stairs. Her foot touched upon each one, but it was barely more than a brush. Gravity was doing most of the work here, with her providing nothing but the forward momentum. Lloyd wished her was light and skilled enough to be that stealthy. After all, a group is only as fast as its slowest member, he reminded himself, and the same principle applied to noise. Deciding that stealth was much more important now that they didn't have soundproof walls as a protective barrier, Lloyd slowed down, despite the fact that Sheena was getting ahead.

The stairs quickly became dark as they exited the moonlit room behind them. However, as Lloyd began to worry about not seeing what was in front of him, as if an answer to his thoughts, he reached a small flat area, the width of three or four stairs. Beyond that, the stairs were the same, but with dimly lit strips of light on the sides illuminating the stairs and the bottoms of Lloyd's boots but nothing else. It was eerie, the light penetrating only such a small area. He felt as if the rest of his body had become invisible, and his boots were moving on their own. The stairs continued down into the darkness for what seemed like an eternity. After a few minutes Lloyd paused for a moment, and realized that he could no longer hear Sheena. Hoping that she wasn't peeved at him, he continued at a slightly faster and louder pace. He doubted that anyone would be ascending such a long staircase so late at night, and if they did, they would run into Sheena first. Lloyd could feel the temperature begin to cool and realized that he had gone further down the stairs than he anticipated.

Just as he was beginning to wonder how deep under the earth the staircase could go before reaching its molten core, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Slowing back down so as to avoid detection, Lloyd crept up to the door. There was only a very pale semblance of light leaking in. Hoping Sheena was beyond it waiting for him, he peered around. What he saw was a dark hallway that extended ten feet or so then opened to the right to a room he could not see, but was issuing dim grayish light and a muffled mechanical clicking noise, like a million monkeys on a million typewriters. Additionally, there was a dark figure with her back to the wall near the portal to the unknown room. Lloyd recognized the figure as Sheena, breathing slowly and calmly, steeling herself.

Lloyd crept up beside her, hoping she recognized him. She did, and turning her head, breathed in his ear, "Took you long enough,"

He grimaced and whispered back. "Not everyone is a ninja like you. I'd be more than happy for the years of training, but you better be quick, you've only got a couple hours until dawn, so you better get teaching." He couldn't see her expression, but he imagined an amused smile.

"Just follow my lead, and stay low," she advised. "But let's get a look first, some reconnaissance, you know?" Lloyd nodded, and Sheena slid one step closer to the door, like a blind diver about to leap off a cliff, and hoping there was water below. Lloyd tried to capture her technique in his memory, resting most weight on the balls of the feet, hunched over, but not like trying to avoid an arrow, more like trying to keep weight centered while moving through a low passageway. She straightened up, and so did he. Holding her hair back so that it wouldn't swing around the corner with her head, increasing the part of her that could be seen, she peeked around the corner. In the dim light illuminating her face, Lloyd could see her eyes go wide, and wander up higher and higher, ominously higher than he was comfortable with. She took a shuddering breath. "I…I think this room is clear," she said, stepping out into the light. "H…have a look for your own."

Cautiously, Lloyd did the same, and almost yelped in surprise at the sight that greeted his eyes. The staircase had taken him far further into the dark than he had expected, and he was now standing in a cathedral of machinery and technology. The roof was so far above his head that the dim light emitted by the circular globes hanging halfway down barely illuminated its lofty ceilings, supported by beams of the same dark metal. The room was about twice as long and broad as the Tethe'allan Throne Chamber. But far more amazing then any of those were the contents.

The entire room was cordoned off by black walls, but these walls seemed to be alive, moving, though not changing location. It was as if they were made of thousands of black scaly beetles. The massive walls were so uniform, Lloyd was certain they had a purpose, but he could not have in a million years guessed what it was. Even as they looked, huge metal arms with long needles soared around the room at high speeds, hovering over the walls, lingering sometimes over one part, as if trying to read something off of it, but invariably moving off. Some of the arms were black, and some were red, and Lloyd soon realized that there was a difference. The black arms would only move across the walls, without touching them or changing them at all, like an artist observing his completed mural. The red ones sometimes were the same, but Lloyd noticed that sometimes, as they swept over the area, there was a flurry of clicking, whirring, and the strange movement in the walls that Lloyd noted earlier. "What…what is it?" asked Lloyd, his awe blatant on his voice.

"I…I don't know…" whispered Sheena, dreamlike, raising one foot in front of her body, and taking one step into the large room. Lloyd winced for a second, sure that the strange mechanical arms with oddly threatening needles were going to turn once they "saw" her. After all, all of his experience in robots, that was exactly what they had done. Yet they continued in their strange work, heedless of all that was around. Sheena blinked, and like a sleeper suddenly realizing that they had woken up, looked around confused. "We better check this out," she stated confidently, glancing around and sneaking up to one of the walls. Lloyd cautiously followed her. He did not fancy tangling with any of those sword-like appendages.

"Look!" exclaimed Sheena, pointing excitedly at a nondescript point on the wall.

"What?" questioned Lloyd. The wall looked exactly the same to him.

"The wall! It's not solid!" she explicated.

"It looks solid to me…" replied Lloyd, unimpressed.

"No, no, I mean, it's not one big piece. It's made of little chip, that are…flipping around…which is why it looks like the wall is moving. It's just that sections of the wall are flipping around in place."

"Are you sure?" Lloyd was still a bit cynical.

"Yes!" replied Sheena, exasperated. "See the little tiny cracks in the wall? Those are the divisions between the little tiles that make up the wall." Lloyd squinted at the wall, and had to admit that he did see hair thin lines cordoning the wall into a grid.

"And down there!" she pointed down one of the aisles between the wall. "Where the robot arm is moving! Don't you see the little chips flipping around?" Lloyd nodded.

"I guess you're right," he submitted, "But why? What strange technology is this?"

There was a moment of silence, as they both tried to fathom the answer. As they thought, Lloyd gingerly prodded the wall, trying to flip one of the chips around, but found it impossible. It was like trying to separate two magnets that you couldn't get a sufficient hold on.

"I don't know…" answered Sheena finally. "But we'll have to find out later. We still need evidence to condemn them."

"And we need to get out," Lloyd reminded her.

"I think we're okay on that front," quipped Sheena enigmatically, but before Lloyd could question her as to why, she crouched and darted around the corner of the wall, making her way to the other side of the hall, where a single door loomed ahead of them. This one, Lloyd was certain, was not equipped with any malignant trap technology. It looked like one of the simple metal doors in the Sybak Research Academy, too light to house anything deadly. Plus, now that they were in the facility, there was no need for excess security. Sheena seemed to be under the same line of thought, and as she reached the door, gently twisted the knob, and opened the door less than a crack to see if any light leaked through. Lloyd sidled up behind her. "It's dark in there," she whispered, "So it's probably empty. I'll go first; follow me if you don't hear anything." Lloyd nodded. Though he didn't want to send her in alone, he was more comfortable with the expert going in first. She edged the door open by impossibly small increments, so slowly that Lloyd could barely see it moving. Once she had a wide enough gap, she sucked in her gut and slipped through.

Lloyd held his breath, listening for any sound that might indicate her capture or detection. He was listening so intently, that when Sheena suddenly stuck her head back out the door, he jumped like someone suddenly grabbed while listening to headphones. Sheena grinned as Lloyd took a deep breath to calm himself, shaking his head angrily.

"The room is clear," laughed Sheena. "Come on in." Glancing around, Lloyd did as she instructed, leaving the door open just a fraction to illuminate the pitch black room. Looking in, he saw nothing, and even as his eyes adjusted to light, there was nothing special. The room had eight desks around the edges, each with a single box in the middle and an ordinary wooden chair, pushed in neatly.

"Doesn't look like there's anything else in here…" suggested Lloyd, straightening up and taking a step forward to further his conclusion. And, as if breaking some invisible trip wire, as soon as his foot went forward, four bright spotlights flamed into life in the middle of the room, two on the floor, two on the ceiling, all pointed straight into the middle, at a hulking object that for a moment Lloyd did not recognize. Before he discovered what it was, however, he needed to affirm his own safety, and quickly did. The spotlights were extremely focused, and only the slightest light leaked from the center of their beams; illuminating a room that was exactly as Lloyd had first observed, completely bland and completely safe. Having confirmed his own safety, he peered into the middle to discover what was there that was so worthy of spotlight.

In one quick glance, he determined it was a black suit of armor held of the ground by thin metal poles, but it wasn't like one Lloyd had ever seen. It was fully covered, no holes for eyes, and though there were movable joints, which told him that it wasn't merely a strange statue, they looked like they would be far too heavy and slow to move practically. Just from a quick frontal view, Lloyd could already see three easy ways to get slip a blade under or through it and get to the soft inside of anyone wearing it. Fortunately for his later conclusions and suspicions, there was more to the armor than that. The entire suit was of a pitch black material that was so dark that it almost seemed to be absorbing the light of the spotlights, exuding its darkness to the rest of the room. It was disorienting to look at for any amount of time longer than a few seconds. Lloyd was sure that he had never seen anything like it, and yet at the same time, it seemed strangely familiar. It was like hearing the climax of a story that he had heard countless references to, but never actually received himself.

"Wh…what is it?" asked Lloyd, more of a rhetorical question than anything else. He knew that Sheena had never witnessed anything like the armor.

"I don't know…" replied Sheena in wonderment. "But I think that we need to get out of here. We really don't have much time left until dawn, and a weird suit of armor isn't the incriminating evidence we need. This is crunch time, right now, and getting distracted won't help."

"I know, just…just give me a second. I want to see what this is about." Sheena sighed, but didn't move to stop him, which he took as affirmation. Lloyd stepped a little closer, careful not to step on anything which might have triggered the lights in the first place. He reached the edge of the lights, standing awkwardly, like a swimmer unsure of whether to dive into the water, but curiosity got the better of him. Slowly and carefully, he extended one hand forward to the armor. As soon as it entered the light, Lloyd immediately noticed a strange sensation creeping up his arm. It was as if his hand had been immersed in subzero water, but was protected by a plastic glove. It was a wet cold feeling, but with out any water. Additionally, he began to get a headache, and it felt like a high pitched noise was buzzing in his ear, even though he could physically hear nothing. It was extremely distracting, and though Lloyd realized that the armor was enchanted immediately, the disturbed state of his mind did not realize that perhaps backing off would be the best course of action. Instead he peered through the light, studying the armor more intently, and found a surprising discovery, that would have been obvious, had the armor been any color but as black as oblivion.

"It's covered in runes!" he exclaimed. "The armor is magical!"

"Really?" asked Sheena, who Lloyd realized was standing only a few feet away. It was hard to hear over this incessant buzzing in his ears. "You read runes, right? What does it say?"

"I…er…I can read runes…but…um…I just have…I mean, my knowledge is mostly practical, for carving charms and stuff…this looks really, really advanced." It was hard to keep focused over the mentally and physically dampening abilities of the armor. "I mean…I mean…I can read a few…here and there…See? That one is 'Be protected from' and this one is 'contain'…and…that one…is…something to do with…solstice?"

He turned, and took a step to look at another part of the armor. The entire thing was intricately carved with impossibly small runes coating the entire surface. "And this one is power…of…some kind…possibly power of mana…but I'd need context to figure that out. See, Sheena, I'm not too bad? Sheena?" Lloyd realized suddenly that she had gone deathly silent on the other side of the suit, as the breath had been suddenly knocked out of her. "Sheena?"

"L…Lloyd…I…I think you better see this," she forced past her lips. Her face was quickly turning white, like someone with a severe wound. Concerned, Lloyd slipped around the armor, still feeling the cold wetness and buzzing noise dampen his senses.

"What is it?" he asked, but she just held up a single finger, pointing it at the glove like an accusation. Lloyd followed her gaze to the pitch black gauntlet. It was made of the same metal, he noted, and would be awful, weighty, and ridiculously impractical in battle. It was then that he realized that she was not pointing to the hand itself, but a spot on the back, where there was a small hole in the glove, the only point in the entire armor that wasn't completely enclosed. For a second, Lloyd didn't see anything special, but even with the dampening, inhibiting, one might say, qualities of the ore the armor was constructed of, the dreadful answer was too obvious to ignore, especially as he read the all too familiar runes encircling the opening.

"It's a giant Key Crest…" he breathed, the pit of his stomach sinking to levels of dread he had never experienced.

"Aaaaaannnnd…Stop," came a smooth voice from behind them, as the glaring lights of the rest of the room flicked on. Before his sight had readjusted, his ears heard what he would have missed, the rhythmic tramp of highly trained soldiers flooding into the room. "I think that's as good a place as any to end your little self-guided tour." The voice chuckled. "You didn't really think we'd just let you waltz in here, did you?"


	11. Chapter 11

**So this one's a little shorter, but I know exactly where I'm going from here, so the next installment should be up relatively soon.**

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Lloyd whipped around as the lights flicked on, but the light blinding his eyes prevented him from distinguishing any shapes from the mass of white in front of him. His first instinct was launch his hands to either side of his waist and draw his swords, but prudence told him that, as he was not yet dead, he would probably have at least a little while to explain himself, which would be significantly be decreased if he proved himself hostile.

"Well, well, well…" came the mocking voice in front of him. It sounded like it belonged to a young male, perhaps a bit younger than Lloyd. Lloyd blinked twice, and the moisture in his eyelids seemed to wash the spots of light from his eyes. As he had predicted, the steady rapid clicking he heard earlier was the rhythmic march of trained soldiers into the room. Every one of them was armed with a loaded crossbow, and everything he was beginning to see exuded deadly efficiency. Even the crossbows themselves looked threatening. They were of a bluish metal, and were shorter than the average man's forearm, but the bolts they carried were affixed with bulb-like heads covered in barbed points that Lloyd did not feel like getting lodged in his flesh. Realizing that he could see fully once more, Lloyd took another good look at his surroundings.

The room was as he had originally appraised, without further traps. The Key Crest armor stood in the middle, seeming exactly as he had determined earlier, though slightly less threatening when it was not the only thing in the room with any light on it. Simple grey desks stood on the sides of the room. The strange boxes on the desks looked familiar, and Lloyd realized they were actually computer monitors. It was a disturbing turn of events that their foes had approximately the same level of technology as the Desians Lloyd had fought in the journey of world regeneration, but an occurrence Lloyd would have to think about later.

The soldiers who flooded into the room now stood three to each wall, with five on the side of the door. They stood close enough to the wall to avoid a sneak attack from a theoretical third infiltrator, but not so close to prevent them from drawing and using their swords, which Lloyd noted were slung over their backs, and attacking. Their uniforms were unadorned blue cloth covering what Lloyd would guess was chainmail, based on the way the material draped over their bodies. Their legs and feet were guarded by thin metal plates to help prevent an attack to the lower portion of the body, and was the reason their feet had clicked as the moved across the hard metal floor. Their helmets were simple steel, and were thick on the forehead and temple areas, but very thin in other places. Clawlike spikes of metal sprouted from both sides of the helmet at cheek level, curving around their faces and covering most of their countenances, but still allowing them to breathe. Lloyd realized that all of their armor was designed to protect only the most vulnerable areas. The rest was up to good training.

"Who would have thought…the saviors of the world to personally come to visit our…humble facility?" questioned the man at the door, who Lloyd quickly turned his attention to. Lloyd realized that the word 'man' was an overstatement. He looked barely a year or two older than Lloyd had been when he had set of to save the world. His face was slightly snide and mocking, with the smooth, soft, yet still handsome features of what Lloyd guessed to be Sybak, though he could be wrong. His hair was black, short, glossy, and impossibly unruly. Though his hair appeared to all be the same length overall, it was going in so many directions at once, that some places on his head were completely flat, while others stood up, like peaks and valleys of the very continent they were on at that moment. It did not however, look like he had just rolled out of bed, or forgotten to take a shower. Instead, it seemed like no one had ever told him that it looked awful, and as such a young person in a position of power, it was likely no one ever would, as long as he didn't meet Zelos. His eyes were unusually large, and Lloyd was sure they would be mesmerizing if he kept them more open. Instead, he half-squinted at them, as if he didn't want to wear glasses, but really needed them. He had a long thin scar, extending like a white wire from the left corner of his nose downward diagonally to the corner of his jawbone. His clothes were simple lab robes, although they were embellished by a gold lining around the edges. If Lloyd peered closely at them, he could even see a Sybak logo on them, proving the connection to him, if not to Meltokio politicians. Physically, their opponent didn't look like too strong of a fighter, but he had some muscle on him, like a fencer gone to waste. Still, he had an air of magic power so strong that Lloyd could smell it, like the stench of alcohol on a drunk. It smelled almost metallic, but with undertones of something that smelled like fur. It was an interesting blend.

"And look which two they send!" he exclaimed. "Lloyd Irving, leader of the group, and Sheena Fujibayasha, chief of the Mizuho! I mean, I could understand it if you sent…that little girl…Presea, right? She's not too important, or the little half-elf boy…what's his name…it starts with a 'P', doesn't it?"

"A 'G'" spat Sheena. Lloyd was fully aware that everyone in the room knew Genis' name, but the man at the door seemed to like to mock them.

"Oh, right, right, sorry," apologized the man insincerely. "But still, wow! I mean that the leader of the group himself would try to infiltrate our facilities, badly, I admit, extremely poorly…but…do you know how many alarms you set off on your way here?" His mocking tone was gone, and now it seemed more like he simply wanted to carry out a conversation with them. "Thirteen! One of them was before you even stepped foot in the building! How could you expect this to be so easy? I mean, there are your blatant breaking-and-enterings, and then there are your blatant breaking-and-enterings!" He seemed to like the sound of his voice. He didn't speak particularly fast, but the way his thoughts just flowed into each other and spilled into his mouth, it was like a river gushing over an outcropping. "You know, I was the one who thought up the alarm system. The Desians were the first with video cameras, and sound recorders, but those can't actually detect infiltration unless someone is on the other side watching them, and they're kind of easy to spot. I was the first with laser breaker devices. The Desians had lasers, it's true but they only used them as offensive weapons, never to detect when someone was coming inside. Whenever you stepped across one, it broke the beam and set off a silent alarm. I even have ones that are outside, but don't turn on until a certain time of night, so that they're not set off by every random hobo wandering along. Cool, huh?"

He paused for a moment, as if waiting for a response, but was disappointed. He continued anyway. "So, what do you have to say for yourselves? Were you impressed by your little tour?" He cocked an eyebrow, but waited for far shorter than it would take for Lloyd to throw together a clever response, that would not reveal what they knew. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be too intent about getting information from them. As a matter of fact, it seemed almost the opposite, like a child with a secret they couldn't wait to spoil. "I'm afraid you won't find what you're looking for, because there simply aren't any condemning papers anywhere in this facility. Actually, this is a paper-free facility. Now, I know it's dangerous to be with entirely no data backup, but that's not the case. Every piece of datum is backed up at our other seven facilities."

"Master!" hissed the soldier next to the speaker. At first, he looked like he wore exactly the same thing as all of the other soldier, but he spoke with an air of command, even when pleading with a superior not to disclose sensitive information. After a glance, Lloyd noticed that there was, in fact a difference in his outfit. A single extra screw was located on the left side of his head plate. It was a subtle system of command, noted Lloyd, but it would be impossibly hard for any foe unfamiliar with it to eliminate captains in battle.

"Oh, pshawww…" scorned the speaker. "If the Darting Shadows are working for them, they probably already know everything they want to about our facilities, or they will soon. I was just discouraging them from any further attempts at infiltrating any of our bases. They won't try if they know that they can't prove anything. The Meltokion nobles won't believe anything but paper evidence, which I was encouraging them to stop looking for. I'm just doing it because if they did try, we both know that they could cause some trouble if they really wanted to. I mean, we have backups, but it's not like any of this stuff is cheap. Especially not the macr…" he turned and glanced at Lloyd and Sheena, then as if introducing them to an old friend, he stepped to the side, and gestured to the room before them containing the strange walls made of flipping black sections.

"Behold, the macrochip! The source of all our technological wonders!" A wild grin occupied most of his face, one that he kept as he continued rapidly spewing information. "You know, we wanted to make it a microchip, like the ones the Desians had, but we just can't figure out how to make them so darn…small! I mean, we've tried, but those things are tiny! We're really at an interesting point in history, you know. We have the technology of the future, but production means of the past. We used to be working on cannibalizing the Desian factory line, but we gave up on that, partially because your friend Zelos was so adamant about them being destroyed, or at least guarded, but partially because they only used it for exspheres, and we don't really need to know how to activate those on a large scale…"

"Why not?" interjected Lloyd, hoping that their new foe would continue spilling his guts.

"Well, you see we don't actually…Well…Hah! Wouldn't you like to know?" he caught himself just in time, and Lloyd winced. He had been so close. The man strode slowly towards them as he explained his superiority. "You see, I have the advantage here. I don't have to tell you anything, the only reason I am, is frankly because it's entertaining, and I'm not giving away anything useful. All you know about us that you didn't before is that we have eight total bases…and that our weaponry is hundreds of years past your wildest imaginings. You don't even know my name."

"Yeah, I do," replied Sheena smirking, surprising Lloyd as much as anyone else, "It's Jasper Patricks." Jasper looked stunned, looking around for an explanation. Barely containing her mirth, Sheena extended a single finger, pointing at the left side of his chest. "Nametag: Jasper Patricks, Head of Practical Magitechnology Development of the Tethe'allan Superiority Society."

Jasper bit his lip and looked down at the tag, picking it off his chest and looked at it, truly quiet for the first time that night. He pocketed it, then looked Sheena in the eyes, and sighed. "Damn it." It was more of a statement than an interjection.

One of the soldiers let out a single muffled snort. "Shut it, Atherson!" cried Jasper, turning and singling out the man. "I'm still your superior!"

"Sir!" exclaimed the officer near the door. "Please, don't reveal any more information. You know the saying, 'One name is a suspicion, two is certainty.'"

"Captain, I'm sure these two are fully aware of everything they want to know. With the Darting Shadows, it's hard to keep anything a secret. They're only here to prove our existence, not to find out about it. I'll show you." Jasper turned and barked. "Gargenteth! Ferham! Mean anything?"

Lloyd nodded fervently, although he had never heard of the second. He hoped that Jasper would explain, however, and he did not disappoint. "See? They already know the identities of our two biggest leaders, and…er…well, I guess Gargenteth isn't exactly a leader…he's more like a sponsor…but…well Ferham is a leader…so yeah…I guess they both count." He appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. He snapped out of it quickly, and changed subjects dramatically.

"I bet you think I'm a horrible person, only concerned with power and personal gain, right?" Lloyd nodded slowly, and Sheena did the same next to him. "Well, you're wrong…" he spoke, but this was softer, almost like he had been planning all of this, for dramatic effect, trying to justify it in his head. "I'm not in it for the power. Gargenteth, yeah, he's just your typical Meltokio noble, desperate to get in position for the kingship, determined to get money off of everything…and Ferham…he really believes in all of this superiority nonsense. I don't. Not at all, actually. I'm not that different from you, Lloyd. I think equality is very desirable. I too, am appalled by the living conditions in the slums of Meltokio, and I can see where this world is headed. The way technology is advancing, soon there will be factories in every city, and conditions will be worse than ever for the poor. I'm trying to save them, you know." His speech was beginning to sound more and more practiced, as if he were an apologetic. "I'm trying to save them," he repeated. "Don't you agree that I'm going to do a good thing?"

"Maybe, but how is shooting beams of mana from the sky going to save the poor?" questioned Lloyd, scoffing.

"Oh, that's not what the end goal is," replied Jasper nonchalantly, returning to his former manner. "That's just the first step. Soon, I plan to move from controlling the sun's mana, and make a way to control the sun, make it shine when and where we need it. Think about it, Lloyd. Think of the effect on agriculture. By letting plants grow at night, I'm at least doubling production yield. Plus, they can grow in even the coldest of winters, and there will be no losses to frost. Think of what all of that food could do for these people. Part of the reason they're all so poor, is the fact that there simply isn't enough food out there to feed everyone adequately, and the upper class are dead set on keeping it like that, even hogging more than their share, so that the lower classes have to pay more for food, and don't have enough to advance, to threaten the nobles position. If there was more food, if the poor didn't have to pay as much, they could spend their money on other things, like housing, or an education, which as everyone knows is the best tool to escape poverty. Isn't it a good idea? I'm just trying to perfect your salvation, Lloyd." He smiled, thinking himself quite the humanitarian. "Which, by the way, I admire exquisitely. I find it…amazing at certain times…what you did. Like…your victories over Desian Grand Cardinals, despite the fact that you had next to no training, and they had a life time of preparation. Or…the part where you thought Zelos had betrayed you, but you still trusted him." A smile was flashing on Jasper's face, though he was trying to control it. Lloyd could tell that he just wanted to burst out. "IT WAS SO COOL!" but thought it would be unprofessional. He was like a small child. It was almost endearing, but the situation was too serious for Lloyd to sympathize right now.

"But is this extremely dangerous method the best way to go about saving the poor?" inquired Sheena. "Allying with two men who are probably insane with power, launching deadly beams near the world tree, possibly creating a new, extremely deadly weapon?"

"Now, I'll admit there are risks," laughed Jasper offhandedly, "but I think the rewards are too great to pass up. Plus, I'm the only one who really knows how to make all of this work. Gargenteth and Ferham are going to listen to me because, frankly, without me, their research would be set back…maybe…one hundred and twenty years, at a conservative estimate, and honestly, neither of them are capable of thinking that long term. Plus, I'm the only one who knows how to wield it as an offensive force, and once I figure out how to deweaponize it, I'm destroying all records of the original experiments. And about the world tree, I doubt the relatively small amount of mana from the sun would damage such an immensely powerful mana producer, and it has that…Marcel lady defending it, right?"

"Martel," hissed Lloyd, but Jasper continued on.

"I don't think there are any concerns for human lives," he mused seeming more thoughtful this time, "except for my researchers, if something goes dramatically wrong, but that's why we built the bunkers, and they know what they're getting into. As a matter of fact the closest village I can think of to a test…" He broke off his thought. "That reminds me, tell the Flanoir area experiment, number 156-C that they have to complete the preparations tonight, and perform the experiment tomorrow, or else they're coming home early. I wouldn't want any of the other saviors interfering, and according to our friend Lehrow, they do know about it. Hmm…I guess he was right. It's a shame Ferham killed him."

"You killed him?!" exploded Lloyd, enraged at the injustice, "He was killed by you, his friends, while we, his enemies spared him?"

"Not me," replied Jasper casually. "Ferham. Once he gets in one of his moods, someone's got to die, and Lehrow was just unlucky."

"And you ally yourself with him, and then try to plead your case with us, justify yourself. How dumb do you think we are?" asked Sheena. "And more importantly, how dumb do you think they are? Do you think Ferham and Gargenteth are honestly just going to sit back and watch you work, ready to be betrayed at any second? I'd bet my hide that at least one of these men here is a double-agent, ready to shift the aim of his crossbow just a hair and get rid of you once and for all. It might set back their research, but I've seen all of their scientists, and I've heard of the massive vaults of knowledge they have. It wouldn't take long. As a matter of fact, I'll bet some of Gargenteth's corps have already figured it out. His smuggling ring traffics in more than materials, you know." Sheena was bluffing, but Lloyd didn't realize until halfway into her speech. She was very good at it, and for a moment, Jasper seemed unnerved. He licked his lips nervously, but decided that a response was, in fact, necessary.

"I'll have you know…I…have some agents of my own…inside their…inner circles." His bluffing techniques were not anywhere near par. "But enough of this. I've discussed too much with you already. Charbd…" he paused, realizing he was about to give away another name. He licked his lips, wetting them. "You…and you…and the two of you in the back, take them to…" He paused in thought for a moment. "I guess the kennels are the best we have here for containment…I wish we were at a larger place…like the Triet facility…" Lloyd grinned at the revelation of more important information. "They'll have to do. Take away all potentially dangerous equipment, and make sure they're locked up tight. Don't leave the room. You know, all of the standard 'dangerous prisoner procedure'. I trust you to know the rest." He paused. "You know, it's a shame we are destined to fight, Lloyd. I really did enjoy our conversation." The two guards Jasper had pointed to at opposite ends of the room marched towards Sheena and Lloyd, producing handcuffs from pouches hanging on their belts. Lloyd glanced at Sheena for a cue, but as she caught his eye, a slow wild grin spread across her face, like a trapped animal that has just spotted a way out.

Before Lloyd could react, she twisted on her heel so that she and Lloyd were facing opposite directions, and pressed her back against his, as if ready to fight. In a single, swift, and perfectly unified motion, every soldier in the room, except for the two who were going to handcuff Lloyd and Sheena, whipped up their crossbows. Lloyd really hoped Sheena knew what she was doing. Still with the barely restrained grin of someone with a secret, Sheena reached back and grasped Lloyd's hand.

It was a testament to how confused Lloyd felt about his feelings that the first thing he noticed was how soft her hand was, how delicate, like a young flower growing off the side of a large road, instead of noticing the small, slightly squishy sphere now clamped between their hands. He hadn't worn gloves on this mission, and Lloyd felt embarrassed at how clammy his hands wore. It had always been a problem for him, and was the reason he had started wearing gloves in the first place.

"Aww…look at the lovebirds," sighed Jasper, turning back around as he heard the commotion. Lloyd blushed slightly, but when he looked over, he noticed Sheena hadn't, shaming him more. "So sweet…You know, Lloyd I always thought that you had a thing for Colette…but I guess she's gone off and married someone else, so that's out of the question." Lloyd and Sheena winced in unison. Neither of them knew how Jasper had learned of Colette's family, but they would definitely now have to protect them better.

Sheena squeezed Lloyd's hand slightly, as if asking him if he was ready. Lloyd realized he still had no idea what Sheena was doing. He slipped his thumb into the cup formed between their two hands to feel what the sphere Sheena had concealed there was. It was engraved with a Mizuho character that Lloyd felt he had seen before, but it was hard to determine what it was using only his fingers, instead of his eyes. Unfortunately, the small gap the absence of his thumb caused was large enough for Jasper to see between their hands, and he recognized what was there much before Lloyd. "Is that…" and his face quickly switched from wonderment to dismay. "No! Don't! You'll be killed by the mana shiel…" but it was too late. Sheena smashed the sphere between their two palms, and suddenly, Lloyd felt like he was trying to contain a grenade with his hands. An explosion of light, heat, and some kind of gas ripped not only their hands apart, but it also seemed to rip their spirit from their very bodies. Lloyd felt like he was growing, getting larger, or the room below him was rapidly shrinking. It was a unique sensation, but one that Lloyd found somehow familiar. Looking down into the room, he saw neither himself nor Sheena, only a cloud of smoke.

The crossbowmen had fired, each bolt whistling through the cloud of smoke where he and Sheena had been, and only narrowly missing the soldier on the other side. Jasper was looking around frantically, and Lloyd realized what was happening. Sheena had brought along one of the famed Mizuho Spirit Fades, like the ones she used to escape from them in the journey of regeneration after her failed assassination attempts. Lloyd had only used one once, when the entire party had escaped from the Desian facility with Sheena, the reason the sensation was familiar. He and Sheena had actually shifted between dimensions to the spirit realm, and were now being carried away by a friendly one to a better location, where they would be safe.

Grinning at Sheena's foresight, Lloyd looked up, the direction he was rapidly soaring, but saw something he was unfamiliar with. A barrier stood in their way, a lattice made of what looked like lightning bolt, flaming, crackling, and ready to scorch anything that came near. Lloyd didn't remember anything like this, and something told him that this was not planned. But there was nothing he could now do; he was accelerating faster and faster straight at it. Lloyd looked desperately around for Sheena, but everything was now black, even the room that he could formerly see below him. She was no where in sight. He was alone with the wall of electricity, and about to crash into it.

And suddenly, a gentle, but impossibly powerful voice echoed around the oblivion he rocketed through. "I will protect you both!" It was a voice Lloyd recognized as the green haired goddess, Martel. Her giant form appeared at the lattice, and as he soared at it, she grabbed two crossbars of lightning. It jumped from her hands, up her arms, looping around her body. Her head was tossed back, and she seemed to scream through gritted teeth though Lloyd could hear nothing. And still, despite her efforts, the lattice hovered in front of Lloyd, weakened, but as present as ever. Lloyd drew a single breath of panic as he bludgeoned straight through it. As he passed through the barrier, the only sensation in his body was that of pure agony. The actual places the lightning struck him, he felt nothing, every nerve deadened completely. Everywhere else, he felt as if he were being atomized, then every atom being scalded, electrocuted, and fitted back into his body. He had never felt such intense pain anywhere in his body, and now it was all but universal. Every fiber of his being was stretched to the breaking point, and sometimes, beyond. He felt parts of his arm dying as they passed through the lightning, his left leg totally numbed. Even one of his lungs seemed to have stopped functioning, the only gasping breaths he managed to take wheezing through his other one. The pain was so impossible that Lloyd felt himself become removed from his body. His mind couldn't cope with the distress signals issuing from everywhere it monitored, and was shutting down. And Lloyd welcomed it. Death, or possibly insanity, anything was better than this.

And then, when all his mind had ever sought to maintain was almost gone, when his life was almost over, he felt something stroke the side of his face, his chin. It was so soft, so pure, so loving, like a mother's touch, and for a moment Lloyd wondered if he had in fact truly died, or simply come so close that it didn't matter. He sighed at the simple embrace, and all went black.


	12. Chapter 12

The next thing Lloyd remembered was still in his subconscious, though it was as clear as day afterwards. He was floating in a sea of blackness as far as he could see. He wasn't even entirely sure he was floating, though. He could be falling, or standing, although he didn't exactly seem to have a body, so he wasn't exactly sure if any of that was possible. He wasn't even sure what he was. He did seem to have feeling, he couldn't help but feel like he was standing in a giant field, and the air, or at least, the environment around him seemed cool, but not quite cold.

Just as he was beginning to feel comfortable in the vast nothingness of his unconscious mind, something changed, and though it was not dramatic, in the infinite oblivion surrounding him, it drew attention like a nudist in the Flanoir Cathedral.

The blackness began to blur, become lighter, forming into a humanoid shape that seemed familiar, but Lloyd could not pinpoint what it was. It seemed about his size, though it was impossible to compare without a body of his own. The blurry patch seemed to flicker, as if a newcomer was trying to intrude in his peace, and for an irrational moment, he just wished they would go away. He felt comfortable enough here.

But now he recognized the form. It was the shape of Martel, though she seemed less grand, less powerful here in his mind. She was trying to say something, but no words were issuing from her moving mouth. It seemed to be causing her great pain. She was gulping for air silently. Lloyd struggled to hear her but could not. The image of Martel hung her head, and faded. Lloyd tried to determine the significance, when suddenly a thought popped into his head. It was as if the thought was his own, but it manifested itself in Martel's voice. It was strange, mused Lloyd, that he imagined the thought to be in his head, when he didn't seem to have a body at all. It was more like he was in his head already, floating in a subconscious state. A thought within a thought.

"I…am weak…" the thought trail explained. "No more…can I protect you…or the world tree. You are…alone…" And with that sobering notion, everything went dead silent. There were no echoes at all, nor a trace that Martel had ever been there. He stayed for a moment, floating in the black limbo, when suddenly; a strange sensation came over him. It was as if he was expanding, though he had no body, rocketing in all directions at once to fill his subconscious void. And then, as suddenly as if he had been smacked over the head with a bat, stars exploded before his vision. He blinked twice, and tears wetted the corners of his eyes. This meant, he realized suddenly, that he was back, once again in a body, no longer a vacant thought process.

And still, he had next to no control over his movement. He could blink, but that was more of a reflex than a cognizant choice. No sensations were issuing from anywhere in his body; he was completely numb. He couldn't even tell what surface he was lying on. For all he knew, he could simply be floating several feet off the ground. Nothing registered in his mind, other than the infinite stars floating above him. And then, a simple, mundane, completely unremarkable thing dramatically changed everything. A chill breeze rose from his right, cooling his face, and awakening the nerves. He felt as if he was pressing his face on needles, similar to the feeling he experienced when having to wake a sleeping limb. With this first sensation, as if Lloyd's brain had remembered how to feel, other information rushed at him. He was lying on a damp dirt surface that rustled with leaves as the breeze meandered by. Occasional large rocks stuck out though the cover of dead foliage, pressing uncomfortably into his back like a lumpy bed. An early dawn seemed to be pushing its way through the thick foliage. A bird chirped in the distance, a single, high-pitched whistle, cut off almost before it started. The smell of damp, decomposing leaves assaulted his nose. He tried to sniff deeper, but he seemed to be having a little trouble breathing. One of his lungs was fine, the other seemed unwilling to complete its duty. Something warm was pressed in his hand, though he couldn't yet determine what.

Realizing that he was, in fact still alive, Lloyd quickly determined his goals. First, remain alive, though that didn't seem a threat. He heard no movement in the forest, and if there was some kind of enemy out to get him, there couldn't be a better time to strike than as he was lying immobilized on the forest floor. Still, he would eventually die if he didn't get up and move, so he realized that it was necessary for him to try. Lloyd tried to sit up, attempting to flex his stomach muscles contract them, pull his upper half off the ground, but as he quickly realized, he didn't remember how. He seemed to have forgotten how to move. Lloyd tried again, to no avail. It was like having a dream in which you roll out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, and prepare for the day, only to wake up again to realize that you must start the process over. It was even more frustrating, because movement was such a natural thing, that no one had ever told Lloyd how to do it. He couldn't remember any pointers, any instructions, because there were none. It was so natural, Lloyd assumed he could always do it, and yet, now he lay on the forest floor, completely helpless, like a newborn infant.

Lloyd struggled once more. This time, he was sure he could feel his muscles flex in his stomach, but in vain. He received no propulsion. Combing his muscle memory, Lloyd searched for something he could use as a reference, a very specific time he had difficulty getting up. Maybe then he could remember how he had done it then, and could reference it now. And he settled upon it. He had been fighting Proynma for the second time, and he had been caught off-guard by a new attack she was using. It was like Beast, but faster, and more destructive. He didn't even have time to catch himself. He had hit the ground hard, his knee crumpling against the hard tile floor. He had been attempting to push his battered body off the ground, while Proynma had been charging to finish him off. He had seen Raine off in the corner off his vision, running to heal him, but he knew she wouldn't reach in time. Lloyd squinted as he tried to recall what happened next. Just like the rest of his body, his memory seemed to be as slow as molasses in a funnel. He knew that he remembered thinking that he surely wouldn't be able to get up in time…that surely Pronyma would reach him before he could even prepare to leap out of the way, but something had delayed her, distracted her. Someone had gotten in her way, dodging her blades and spells, someone lithe, quick, and still powerful enough to slow her down…

Sheena. Lloyd's mind screamed, though his mouth hadn't remembered how yet. And ironically, the memory served its original purpose, though it was not in the way Lloyd had intended. Shocked by the fact that he had forgotten about her, and in a moment of sheer panic as to her condition or circumstances, Lloyd sat bolt upright, suddenly recalling how to move, if only by instincts. As soon as he did so, he became acutely aware of extreme exhaustion sweeping over him. His individual muscles didn't hurt, but overall, his entire body seemed as if he simply couldn't move anymore. He had barely moved as it was, and already he was ready to collapse back, not move again for a long time. But first he had to find Sheena.

And that took very little effort. Turning his head to the left, there was nothing but dense forest that he recognized as the edges of the Gaorrochia, nearing the top of one of the small mountains surrounding Mizuho. Turning to the right, he saw the same, except for something purple infringing on the bottom horizon of his vision. Glancing down, Lloyd's startled eyes rested upon Sheena's limp form.

"Seeehna!" exclaimed Lloyd. He was surprised at the clumsiness of his tongue. It felt almost swollen in his rough throat. He temporarily ignored his own mild discomfort to determine if Sheena was indeed alive. Her skin was still fair, not mottled, and if Lloyd looked closely, he could see her chest rising and falling ever so subtly. The differences in the height of her chest before and after a breath were so miniscule, that for a moment, Lloyd could not believe that someone could survive on so little oxygen. To his surprise, Lloyd found that his right hand was still clasped in Sheena's left, their fingers still intertwined, twisted like an intricate lock, difficult for even the most skilled infiltrator to pick. It was her hand that provided the warmth that Lloyd had detected earlier in his own. That, at least, was a good sign. Tentatively, Lloyd reached over and felt for a heartbeat. For a second, Lloyd felt like using his other hand to check for pulse, or breathing, or something, but he could not bring himself to disentangle his hand from hers. It seemed to him that that simple act of letting go of her hand would cause more significant ramifications. It was surely irrational, but he could not bring himself to let go.

Frowning, Lloyd realized how slow her heartbeat was. It was about one every two seconds, like an animal in deep hibernation. Her hair was covering her face like a dark shroud, so Lloyd brushed the raven strands away, and with a sudden gasp, she started awake, causing Lloyd to jump.

She had almost the exact opposite awakening as Lloyd, instead of being taken by lethargy and stillness, she was panicked and writhing. Lloyd quickly let go of her hand as she gasped again, her lungs heaving like an ill-fated sailor washed overboard and drowning in the vast sea. Her fingers reached out, scything the air in front of her, narrowly missing Lloyd's face, then turning back to hug and her own shoulders, like a fearful child. Her legs spasmed too, toppling Lloyd over and to the side. She was kicking like a bug turned on its back, and for a moment, Lloyd watched in mild amusement. Then he realized the damage she was doing to herself. Her long, slender, sharp fingernails were raking across her nearly bare shoulders, taking with them parts of her silk gown, her flesh, blood, and occasionally other bits that Lloyd could not identify on sight, but were possibly muscle.

Reacting quickly, Lloyd dove again onto Sheena, forcing her hands away from her ravaged shoulders. "Seena!" exclaimed Lloyd, still trying to remember how utilize his delicate speech function. "Wake up! Snap 'ut o' it!" But she did not. Still, she struggled, bucking like an unbroken horse, her hands clenching and unclenching like clams.

"So…so cold…" she gasped desperately. "So cold, so cold, so cold," she repeated the mantra deliriously to herself, still trying to curl up, writhing like a snake trapped under a stick. Lloyd could barely contain her, as her arms were wet and slippery. Lloyd realized that it was the frigid sweat of fear, though he did not know of what she was afraid.

In addition to this difficulty, Lloyd was only now realizing the boundaries of this newfound movement. There were certain joints, certain muscles, certain patches of skin, that when they received any stimulus at all, they would explode in pain. They were in straight lines, Lloyd realized, crisscrossing his body, exactly at the places where the mana shield had burned him. There were no physical marks at all, but they seemed scarred in a deeper way. One of the most inhibiting, he realized, was the one that exactly bifurcated his left lung, rendering it almost useless for breathing. Within just a few seconds he was gulping at the air as if he had just run a marathon. It was the combination of these factors that made Lloyd unable to hold onto her left arm as she squirmed, slipping away from his arm, which was so much pain that he barely had any control over it.

Sheena tried to curl up again, but Lloyd just flattened himself against her, pancaking her hand so that she couldn't injure herself any more. "…cold…so…" she muttered, but her breathing slowed, and her movement slid to a stop like a ferris wheel grinding into its station. And then, without warning, she went limp, like a clubbed fish. For a horrifying moment, Lloyd thought she had died, or lost conscious, but he soon realized that her chest was still subtly moving against his own.

"Sheena?" he carefully asked, seemingly mastering in a few minutes the speech process that had taken him over a year when he was a baby. His lungs still seemed like they couldn't quickly recover from this small battle, and lack of oxygen was beginning to make him dizzy. He received as much response as if he had been calling for an inanimate object. "Are you okay?"

Her response was so long in the coming, her breathing so slow and steady, her face so peaceful, that for a moment, Lloyd wondered if she had gone back to sleep. But, his thought proved to be wrong, as, after a few agonizing minutes, she replied, "Thank you, Lloyd."

"Are you alright?" asked Lloyd. "What happened?"

Sheena responded, her eyes still closed, "I was…unconscious for a little while, and when I woke up I was…very…very cold. That's really all. I guess I just suffered a bit more while passing the mana shield than you did." She sighed. She, at least, didn't seem to have any trouble remembering how to speak. "Maybe it's like a bee sting," she theorized. "Everyone is allergic to the venom, but some people are just more allergic than others, and some are allergic in different ways."

"I guess…" agreed Lloyd skeptically. It was certainly a dramatic reaction. Sheena sighed, but Lloyd was unwilling to rest any longer. He had suddenly remembered the vital information they were carrying. They had less than one day to get up to the Flanoir test site and stop the experiment, instead of the two weeks they thought they had left. Of course, it could be a week later than Lloyd thought. He had no idea how long he had been out.

"Sheena, I think we should get moving. We barely have any time at all until the next experiment, and that is our only lead. If we let this slip through our fingers, there's no where to pick up the trail." Sheena sighed again, and for a few moments said nothing. Lloyd was beginning to become impatient when she replied,

"I know…but I really can't travel by myself right now. You're going to have to help me." Lloyd smiled.

"I can do that," Lloyd laughed, "Although a moment ago, I would have sworn you could move quite well." Sheena gave a pained smile as she attempted to extend her arm. It reached less than a foot away from her body, and Lloyd had to swing his hand down. With a hearty heave, he yanked her to her feet, which he soon discovered, were not yet ready to support her. Her momentum continued her forward, where she, with a shriek nearly toppled face first back into the ground. Lloyd fortunately caught her, and pulled her back up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, supporting almost the entirety of her weight. He pulled her up so that her arm was around his shoulder in order to be more comfortable.

"Y…Yes," she gasped, evidently a bit flustered, "I just didn't expect that so fast. Let's try to slow down a little from now on, alright?" She was still supporting next to none of her own weight on her own legs, mostly relying on Lloyd's.

"Sorry," apologized Lloyd, shifting her weight awkwardly. "So…er…where exactly are we? Where did you tell the spirit in that little ball to take us?"

Sheena glanced around appraisingly. "Well…you can't exactly just tell a spirit where to take you, they see locations in different ways than humans, and you usually end up in the wrong place. Instead you have to guide them, but I couldn't, as was unconscious…" she gazed around a little more, craning her neck for a better view. "But when spirits have no guide, they usually take their burden to a place they have an affinity for. Knowing a little bit about the spirit that I summoned, and just by looking around…I'd guess we're on Mount Kujibasho, a little ways out of Mizuho."

"Are you sure?" questioned Lloyd. "This is definitely the Gaorochia Forest which supports your idea, but it is a big forest, and you could be mistaken."

Sheena rolled her neck around in its socket, eliciting several loud pops from the joints there. She exhaled, and glanced around, then closed her eyes, as if waiting for some kind of divine intervention. After a few minutes of Lloyd's confusion, she turned, and weakly lifted an arm. "Let's go that way, I think I hear a stream." Her arm was at less than a forty five degree angle, which would, if Lloyd took her action literally, would mean that she thought they should burrow into the ground until they found some kind of underground river. Of course, Lloyd knew that she was simply having difficulty taking complete control over her muscles.

So Lloyd started off in the direction she had meant to indicate. His first step, his right leg, the one Sheena was opposite of, was totally fine. The second one, the leg that Sheena was leaning on, as soon as it touched the ground, as soon as he put any weight on it at all, it exploded in pain, as if hundred of boils inside of his leg had just popped, and Lloyd had an intense memory of his leg passing through the malicious grid of lightning. He gasped in agony, every muscle in his body tensing. Still, his left lung seemed not to be able to expand to its full capacity, and he remembered that the jagged lightning had ripped through it as well. Sheena noticed this sudden reaction, and questioned, "Lloyd, what's wrong?"

"Noth…ing…" Lloyd forced through gritted teeth. Sheena still wore a face of concern, so Lloyd shook his head. "Just a little residual pain from the mana shield."

"Well, if you want, we can…sort of…rest, for a little while." Lloyd forced a laugh.

"Not likely. The sun is rising fast to the east, so unless the mana shield slowed us down by an entire day, we still have a chance to pick up the lead by Flanoir, and I'm not going to pass that chance up. If the pattern from our first encounter with one of those sunbeams continues, then we probably only have until noon. Plus, the experiments probably happen at noon, because that's probably the zenith of the sun's power, as well as its height." Sheena raised her eyebrows. "What?" replied Lloyd, perhaps a bit too defensively, "It makes sense!"

Sheena sighed. "Knowing you, I'm just glad you're not insisting on running or carrying me on your back or something of that nature." Lloyd smiled, though his leg was still burning as if he was being roasted over a flame. And so, Lloyd continued in the direction that Sheena had indicated, an albatross of pain hanging over his head before every other step. Sheena tried her best to help, but her legs were barely moving fast enough to keep Lloyd from having to drag her, which he sometimes did have to resort to. And after a ten-minute eternity of pain, Lloyd began to hear a happy burbling in the distance, almost mocking him. It was coming from around the corner of a ridge he was about to round.

"There!" exclaimed Sheena with more energy than Lloyd could muster. "Do you hear that? I think it's the Baji Stream. It's the one that goes through Mizuho, and since it's going down an incline, it's the fastest way down the mountain. Lloyd looked around. He hadn't yet noticed any incline in this supposed mountain. He assumed that the Mizuho, whose village was surrounded by large trees, and relatively small mountains, unlike some of the other ones Lloyd had seen, made the Mizuho have a slightly laxer height requirement for mountains. Still, Lloyd dragged the two of them around the corner of the ledge and saw, as Sheena had described, a long and straight stream burbling off into the distance. The trees still prevented him from seeing where it went, but it did seem that there was a horizon that it vanished over, proving Sheena's statement that the land they were on right now did indeed slope downward.

"Come on," said Sheena, letting go of Lloyd's shoulder, and half-collapsing, half-lowering herself to the ground. She extended her hand and cupped some water from the stream, gently bringing it up to her mouth. She slowly sipped it, losing most of the water through her fingers. "This water is said to be blessed. I don't know how true it is, but it can't hurt to rehydrate." She reached her hand out to take another sip. Lloyd smiled. The way she was laying there and gently, gracefully cupping water out of the stream, she looked like some kind of nymph, or river spirit, like in the old tales. She was certainly beautiful enough. Lloyd blushed at the thought, but fortunately, there wasn't enough light filtering through the trees to reveal it. Careful to keep his weight on his right leg, he lowered himself to the river and scooped water from it. It was cool and refreshing, and Lloyd realized he was very thirsty. He just had larger pains to worry about while walking. Impatient with the slow pace of scooping water, he lowered his face to the water to drink like a horse or other kind of animal. Sheena laughed, but Lloyd didn't really care at this point.

Lloyd pushed himself away from the stream for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a much needed break, even for only a few seconds. The throbbing in his leg reduced to the point to where he could actually think, although right now he had no use for it. All he needed was to get down the mountain. Lloyd swallowed the residual saliva drinking for the first time in a while had left in his mouth, and pushed himself to his feet, once again trying to keep his weight on his right leg, and right arm. Lloyd winced, as he overbalanced, being forced to put a little weight on his left leg. He wished that he had at least had his injured limbs on opposite sides of his body, so that he could balance better. Still, he got to his feet without too much difficulty, and limped over to Sheena, expecting her to need help getting up.

She looked at his hand for a moment, then shook her head. "No…I think I can get up by myself." Lloyd raised his eyebrows skeptically, but before he could say anything, she pushed herself off the ground into a froglike sitting position. With a grunt, she strained her leg muscles, attempting to lift herself off the ground. Her shoulders were up above their normal positions, almost by her ears, as if she was being lifted by two strings. It would have been comical, had Lloyd not known how much pain and effort it was taking her to perform this simple task. Gasping, she finally pushed herself the final distance, swinging her arms wildly so as not to fall over backwards, which she threatened to do. Fortunately, her sense of balance was sufficient to keep her upright.

She laughed once, thought it seemed a bit forced. She took a faltering step forward and slung her arm around Lloyd's shoulder, though she seemed to be putting less weight on him, gaining a little independence of movement. Lloyd was glad of it. The earlier strain he had been putting on his leg seemed to have left it as ravaged as if someone had actually been tearing at it.

With nothing more than a mutual nod, Lloyd and Sheena set off following the stream. If the earlier leg was an eternity of pain, this was an eternity of torture, agony, untainted hell. The condition of his leg was only getting worse. Additionally, Lloyd realized his earlier assumption about the total lack of slope in the mountain was thoroughly incorrect. It was simply a round topped mountain, the slope getting continually more severe. He only fell once, but without one arm and one leg to help stop his fall, it was a long time before he could stop himself, or protect himself from the malicious rocks. Getting up was pure anguish, and he was only glad that his clothes were thick. Otherwise, he would have scrapes and cuts instead of bruises, and he didn't know whether or not he would be able to handle the acute sharp pain those brought, as opposed to the dull pain bruises brought. Fortunately, Sheena managed to disentangle herself from Lloyd before his fall. The only good thing that could be said of the journey was Sheena seemed to be recovering. After only a few minutes, she was taking steps entirely by herself, though with her arm still around Lloyd, just incase. As they neared the bottom of the long, gravelly, perilously steep and loose-rocked mountain, Lloyd had to wonder, who was supporting whom.

Additionally, there seemed to be a reversal occurring as they made their way down the mountain. The further they went, the weaker Lloyd felt, while Sheena seemed to actually be recovering. Lloyd also no longer felt as impatient with Sheena's physical abilities, and began to feel like he needed a little patience himself. He was sure she was feeling exactly the opposite.

Still, as all things in life, Lloyd's torture did end. The mountain tapered out to a hill, and from there, to a long plain covered in soft grass. Lloyd recognized it as being near Mizuho, though he could not see the village itself anywhere nearby.

"Hey…" whispered Sheena, almost more to herself than anyone. Lloyd glanced at her. "Hey!" she yelled emphatically, though not at Lloyd, glaring over at the edges of her vision. Looking there, Lloyd saw a small black tuft of hair on the top of a small knoll. It belonged to a small boy lying on the hill, who, upon hearing Sheena's exclamations, turned over to see the source. As he saw Lloyd and Sheena, he sprang to his feet. "Gotano!" exclaimed Sheena, evidently recognizing the boy. The small child turned and bolted in the opposite direction.

"Wait, no!" exploded Sheena desperately. "No! Come back!" The child made no such effort. As Lloyd looked over at Sheena's disappointed face, staring blankly at the retreating figure of the boy, he couldn't resist a small snicker building up in the back of his throat.

Sheena turned angrily. "What?" she questioned.

Lloyd himself didn't even know why he found this so amusing. "Well…I was just thinking…Maybe if you spent less time with us, and more time with your village, they'd actually recognize you." Sheena glared at him, not amused. Yet Lloyd still couldn't stop laughing softly.

"Well, maybe I will," she returned icily.

"Aww, come on, Sheena," laughed Lloyd. "You know I didn't mean it. I wasn't actually suggesting that you do it, I was just making an observation." Sheena did not reply. Lloyd felt like he had to smooth things over. "I'm sorry Sheena, I really enjoy it when you spend time with us, and I know that you don't have any choice especially right now, when we need you most." He paused for a brief, but appropriate moment. "Are you still mad at me?" Lloyd put on his best puppy-dog face, mostly sorry and pitiful, but with just a hint of flirtatious fun.

Sheena sighed resignedly, looking over at him, slightly amused. "No," she admitted. "Not really." Lloyd smiled. He felt fifteen again, flirting blatantly, but not actually admitting that it was what he was doing. Sheena shook her head to clear it, then looked off into the direction the boy had fled. "Well, at least we can now assume the direction the boy ran in is the direction of village."

Lloyd barely suppressed another laugh. "And…and maybe then you'd know where your village is!" Lloyd couldn't contain himself any longer and let the laughs burst through. Sheena took a single look at him, then furiously removed her arm from his shoulder and strode off. Lloyd was surprised by how proficiently she walked, especially after what he had seen earlier.

"Wait…Sheena, wait, come back!" Lloyd forced through the laughed, limping after her. She did not; staying a constant at least fifteen feet in front of him, but at Lloyd knew she wasn't too mad at him, as she did stop whenever he got to far behind or at the top of the small hills that dotted the region. The journey continued on in this fashion for a good half-an-hour. And then, as Lloyd slowly made his way up another one of the larger hills, Sheena, who stood at the top, glanced over her shoulder. She obviously sighted something.

"Lloyd!" she exclaimed. "Get up here!" She began to wave her arms frantically above her head. "Hey!" she yelled to someone in the distance. Lloyd gave up on walking and fell to all fours, scrabbling up the hill, all of his limbs burning, though the pain in his left set wasn't even comparable to that in his right. He finally reached the top, collapsing next to Sheena, gasping. His lungs still didn't seem to be working properly, but they, at least had improved in their function, as opposed to his tortured limbs.

But, as Sheena had said, there was something worth seeing. An E.C. was gliding across the plains and hills straight towards them, the little boy they had seen earlier at its prow, pointing at them. Two other men from Mizuho were in the front two seats, intently steering the craft. Sheena smiled down at Lloyd, any earlier animosity forgotten, and helped pull him to his aching feet. Lloyd waved painfully at the craft. The speedy vessel was to the hill in nearly no time at all, gliding up as easily as a falcon gliding on the wind. Lloyd only wished his trip had been like that. Lloyd realized that one of the men was Orochi.

"Chieftain!" he exclaimed. "Sheena! Are you alright?"

"I…I'm okay," Sheena sighed, looking more relieved than Lloyd had seen her in a long time. "We can talk on the way back. Right now, Lloyd and I just need to get back to civilization…and…and lie down." She suddenly, now that they had been rescued, sounded completely exhausted, a somnolent feeling, Lloyd realized, he suddenly shared.

The two men in the vehicle looked at each other skeptically, but Orochi shrugged. "There's room in the back, if you need to lie down. It's not very comfortable, but I think it'll have to do. We didn't have time to find a luxury version." Sheena smiled sleepily. Lloyd glanced up into the sky. Based on the position of the sun, Lloyd guessed it was still just early morning, which, if they got really lucky, would mean that they still had time to get back and follow the lead with the experiment. The back of the craft was open-topped, and Orochi turned the ship off, so that it lowered itself slowly to the ground. Sheena stepped in slowly, then turned and sat down. Lloyd did the same, with less success, tripping over the top of the rim of the back, and nearly landing face first on the hard metal ground. Lloyd flipped onto his back, gazing dumbly off into the sky. The cargo area was, as any good cargo area, designed for the holding of cargo, and not of humans, meaning that the floor was rough and ridged, so as to have more grip on the contents of the back. It would have normally made for very uncomfortable lying, but for Lloyd's pained muscles, it was pure bliss to lie anywhere.

The two men in the front seats looked at each other awkwardly. The one that Lloyd didn't know licked his lips nervously. "Back to Mizuho, Chief?" he asked. Sheena just nodded. The two men exchanged a look of confusion, but shrugged, and the craft lifted off the ground, accelerating back towards Mizuho. There was a silence for a good half an hour that Lloyd imagined was extremely embarrassing for the two men, carrying two of the world's most famous heroes in the back of their craft, without either of the two of them saying anything. Lloyd would have broken it, but though he trusted Orochi, he didn't know much about the other man, and any topic other than why they were there wandering miles from civilization extremely early in the morning would just seem a shameful attempt at pointless small talk.

At the end of this half-hour of bliss that only seemed that way in contrast to the hell before it, Orochi spoke up. "We're five minutes outside of Mizuho, Chief, Lloyd."

Sheena sighed and sat up.

"Thank you, Orochi. I'm sorry for my secrecy. I'll now break that silence. First, I'd like to thank you, Gotano," She bowed her head to the little boy sitting wedged between the two men in the front. The boy turned his head shyly, attempting to hide his face in his shoulder. Sheena smiled.

"I apologize for my son," said the man Lloyd did not know. "He's rather timid."

"I assure you, he did the right thing," confirmed Sheena. "Although may I ask how he managed to get all the way out in the middle of the field, and then return to Mizuho and fetch you in half an hour on foot, when it has taken that long for us to cross the field in an E.C.?"

Orochi smiled. "That was an unintended stroke of luck. Jebaro and I, along with a few of the village women, were taking some of the children out to play in the fields, and we went a little further than we supposed. The children wandered off to play, and after a few minutes Gotano returned with news that he had seen the chief and Lloyd, possibly injured, emerging from the Gaorrochia. We took two E.C.s with us to the field. We took Gotano in one to help us locate you, and the other we sent back to the village with the women, the children, and word to send for your companions. If all goes well, they should be arriving shortly."

"Ah," Sheena smiled. "That shows admirable foresight, and brings me to my second point. The five of us, that is, Raine, Genis, Presea, Lloyd, and I need to get to Erethia Isle near Flanoir by noon today." Orochi and Jebaro looked at each other skeptically. "If the other three bring their Rheiards and ours, then we should be fine, assuming word got to them quickly enough. Additionally, I have two…no…three reassignments of our espionage units abroad. All near Flanoir need to get good observation points of Erethia Isle, or watch for suspicious behavior in Flanoir, everyone on high alert. This is a serious threat. Secondly, forces near Triet need to be on the lookout for a large scientific facility, and report its existence. Third, and extremely importantly, I want troops anywhere NEAR Iselia to find Colette Brunel, and get her and everyone in her family into one of our safehouses." Lloyd winced as he remembered Jasper's reference to Colette's family. Still, if the Mizuho were protecting them, they were almost definitely safe. Also, although he couldn't testify about Gargenteth or Ferham, Jasper didn't seem to be the kind of villain to nonchalantly kill anyone even near his path, although Lloyd had long such learned not to trust such impressions.

Orochi nodded violently. "Very well, Chieftain. Anything else?"

Sheena bit her lip and looked over to Lloyd. "I don't believe so. Except…right now, we…are in a crisis…and I'm appointing Zelos Wilder and Regal Bryant as emergency supports. If they need absolutely anything at all, we need to do all we can to assist them. If the five of us fail at…our mission, they're our only hope of getting anything done. Also, you might want to tell them to research a…Ferham. Unknown first name. "

Orochi paused for an awkward moment. "May…may I inquire as to the nature of this mission?" he ventured daringly.

Sheena gave Lloyd a sidelong glance. Lloyd shrugged. Orochi seemed trustworthy, but they were now nearing the village, and Lloyd wasn't sure if they had time. "Orochi…" mumbled Sheena. "I'd tell you, but we don't have enough time, and this really is very sensitive…"

"Look!" shrieked Gotano, his tiny finger pointed upward at the sky at three large objects diving out of the sky straight at the village. Lloyd sat up quickly in concern for a moment, before realizing the three objects were Rheairds. Lloyd smiled for a moment, eager to reunite with his friends, until he realized that those were the only three in sight. It was an unpleasant feeling, knowing that he would be going into what would definitely become an armed confrontation without Zelos, Regal, or Colette to back him up. It was like a bad dream in which he was about to fight one of his former foes again, only to realize he had shown up without weapons, and naked, or like finding out that his armor was only fancy tinfoil and cardboard. It was even worse, as the current configuration of the party left him as the only medium melee fighter. While Presea could get up close, her attacks were comparatively slow, and not as useful if he really needed a hand, and while he could count on Sheena to back him up, if a sword was swinging at his back, he would feel safer if it were protected by a rapier, or a pair of sturdy grieves, instead of a deck of cards, no matter how magical they might be.

"I understand, Chief," replied Orochi dutifully. He did not seem hurt that he was not entrusted with what exactly they were doing. Lloyd shook it off as being part of the Mizuho culture. He certainly wouldn't follow any orders unless he knew exactly why he was doing them, no matter how much he trusted the giver of the commands.

Sheena bit her lip. "What time is it, Orochi?" Orochi glanced down at the computer display of the craft. This particular craft was actually scavenged from a Desian base, and was a far more technologically advanced model than even the best Tethe'allan scientists could imagine.

"It is minutes from midmorning, Chief," informed Orochi.

"And how far of a flight on Rheairds is it to Erethia Isle?"

Orochi stroked his chin with one hand, keeping the other on the steering wheel. "I believe it's four hours to Flanoir…but Erethia is slightly closer…and your model of Rheairds are better than the versions we use."

Sheena swore under her breath, carefully turning her head away, so as to preserve Gotano's innocent ears. Turning back to Lloyd, she whispered, "Could we make it in three?"

Lloyd considered. "Maybe. The wind is blowing our way. But keep in mind that we do actually need some time to stop the experiment. At full speed on the Rheairds, we might be able to do it."

Sheena nodded. "Okay. But you realize that, if we do try to pursue this lead, we aren't going to have any times for reunions or stories, other than while we're in the air." Lloyd nodded his affirmation.

In some freak accident of good timing, the E.C. and the Rheiards glided into the village at the same time, Raine, Presea, and Genis hopping off and running to Lloyd and Sheena, who were pushing themselves off the back of the craft. "Lloyd!" yelled Genis. "Sheena! Are you alright?" Sheena leapt off the back of the E.C.

"Not important," she replied with heroic stoicism, a feeling that Lloyd didn't quite share. Still he managed to stay quiet as Sheena asked, "Did you bring our Wing…Ah…yes, you did. Good." Lloyd and Sheena's Wing Packs were strapped to the side of Raine's Rheaird. The rest of the cargo was on Genis and Presea's. "Excellent. Come, we need to leave right now!" She marched over to Raine's Rheaird and began to unstrap her Wing Pack. Lloyd noticed with some concern that her fingers were shaking. She was evidently still experiencing more pain from the mana shield than she exhibited. Lloyd tried to follow her example and get his wing pack, but was interrupted.

Presea stopped him, putting her hand on his forearm. "Lloyd. You're limping," she observed, though not blandly, as she would have on their previous journey. The concern in her voice was fairly overt.

"Were you injured?" asked Raine, stepping forward, unstrapping her staff from her back, intent on healing him.

"I said NOT IMPORTANT!" growled Sheena, barely containing her frustration. "You can heal him on the way!" Her exclamation drew eyes from all around. She returned their stares for a few moments, and then returned her attention to the straps on her Wing Pack. Presea bit her lip and gingerly resumed her seat on her Rheaird, making sure not to aggravate Sheena's uneasy temper. Lloyd glanced down at his feet, slightly embarrassed, but quickly realized Sheena had good reason to be worried. His shadow was just a little bit taller than he was in reality, meaning they had less time than Lloyd originally thought.

Lloyd, trying his hardest not to limp, tentatively made his way over to Raine's Rheaird to unstrap his Wing Pack. He finished before Sheena, but tactfully pretended he hadn't until she angrily swung her pack off. Lloyd followed a few seconds after. Sheena extracted her Rheaird and hopped on. Without waiting for anyone else, she kicked up the engine and rose several feet into the air. It was an interesting contrast, the impatience and frustration Sheena was evidently feeling, and the new, muffled, nearly silent hum of her engine. It would seemed far more appropriate for it to sound like the massive, extraordinarily loud steamship of Palmacosta, roaring furiously into life, instead of Regal's new efficient engine. Realizing that she would have no inhibitions about leaving him behind, Lloyd quickly extracted his Rheaird and leapt on to follow her example. Of course, everyone else, whose Rheairds were ready to go got into the air before him, were intent on following Sheena's example. Without checking if anyone was ready, she kicked her Rheaird into the air, and with a twist of the throttle, shot off rapidly to the ocean.

Raine and Presea followed Sheena quickly to the north. Much to Lloyd's pleasure, Genis' fidelity caused him to fake engine problems so that he could wait for Lloyd to be ready. Lloyd kicked on his engine, and the two of them followed the group. Catching up was a slow matter, as Sheena's pace was only slightly below the maximum speed of the Rheairds, which Lloyd and Genis had to reach to even come close. Fortunately, Raine seemed to notice their predicament, and edged her Rheaird over to Sheena's and yelled something over the wind. Sheena glanced back at the two of them and seemed to roll her eyes, although she was a little too far ahead for Lloyd to be sure of what he saw. Evidently though, Sheena relented, and slowed the pace for just long enough for Lloyd and Genis to catch up.

Lloyd slightly pitied Sheena. The others were obviously edgy around her, now that she had demonstrated her impatience, and need for swift action. They were treating her as if she was slightly diseased, all of them flying a few meters back, so as not to offend her. Of course, Lloyd knew that Sheena wasn't genuinely mad at any of them, she just, like him, understood the importance of getting to Erethia Isle on time. The other three, at this point, did not, and were treating her thusly.

They rode in silence for another few minutes. Lloyd knew that eventually someone was going to ask where they were going. The other party members could only be in the dark for so long. Finally it was Raine who yelled the question,

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" Raine had to fight to be heard over the noise of the air hurling itself past their faces.

"ERETHIA ISLE. FLANOIR. BEFORE NOON," explained Sheena ill-naturedly.

"Erethia Isle?" Raine mouthed to herself, but the wind was too loud for Lloyd to actually hear anything. Lloyd blinked. He had always hated the sensation of drying eyes, especially when he could feel it happening so rapidly, as it did on fast-moving Rheairds. "But…isn't that…" Raine was obviously putting two and two together. "Oh…no…DID THEY CHANGE THE EXPERIMENT DATE?" she cried, alarmed.

Sheena did not respond. Instead, she simply twisted her throttle the final few millimeters to the absolute maximum power. Raine didn't ask another question, she simply repeated Sheena's action. Genis sidled his craft up to Lloyd's, and shouted "LLOYD…SHEENA SEEMS…TOO…FOCUSED TO TELL US WHAT HAPPENED. CAN YOU…INFORM US?" Lloyd licked his lips, preparing to yell his story. Of course, the rapid air currents snatched all the miniscule water particles on his tongue away in seconds, leaving his lips as dry as Zelos' jokes. Lloyd thought for a moment, and prepared for a long and unpleasant story, all of it having to be barked over the wind. He was not looking forward to the condition of his vocal cords after this retelling. Nonetheless, Sheena had already proven she wasn't going to, and he had done more painful things. Had done, and was about to do.


	13. Chapter 13

**I believe that I'm simply going to summarize the majority of their trip to Erethia Isle. Unlike some people, I don't enjoy typing in all capital letters, even for dialogue.**

Lloyd managed to recount the majority of their story in the first hour and a half or so, with a little assistance from Sheena, which he was grateful for, due to the fact that yelling over the air currents for so long made it feel like he had eaten too much sandpaper. By the end, his throat was so hoarse that, he couldn't speak, even if he wanted to, let alone yell over the wind. Raine, the most inquisitive of the lot, had to direct her questions at Sheena, who was too focused on getting there to be a lot of help.

For the first twenty minutes or so after Lloyd recounted his tale, Raine bombarded the two of them with questions about the nature of the symptoms caused by the encounter with the mana shield. First she recommended taking apple gels, but after two with no change, Raine switched tactics. She theorized that perhaps, if the mana shield was simply a grid of mana affecting them, it might have only damaged their internal mana, so she recommended taking orange gels instead. These seemed to improve Lloyd's condition at least slightly. She recommended they continue taking orange gels until they arrived at Erethia Isle, that, and "…plenty of rest and relaxation," she laughed sarcastically. Lloyd smiled determinedly.

For the rest of the flight, they discussed how they might actually stop the experiment. They understood so little about it that it was hard to even know where to start. Lehrow had told them when they captured him that the experiment might fail if they dug up one of the magical catalysts. Of course, they had no idea where the catalysts might be located in the circle. Raine conjectured that they might be under the area where the red tendrils of mana emerged from the ground, but even then, they didn't know how deep they would have to dig. Additionally, Lehrow was not the most reliable source. If he was more loyal to his organization than he portrayed, he might have lied to them to mess them up. Genis was actually more help than Raine in this regard, as he understood more of the fundamental principles of mana than Raine, who was mainly just a healer and schoolteacher, though she had always seemed to know everything to Lloyd.

Genis explained that it would make sense for magical catalysts to be the cause of the magical phenomenon, understanding some of the principles of magical experimentation. He explained that, if they could damage one of the catalysts before the experiment began, they could stop it. He also elucidated that, should they fail to damage a catalyst before the beginning of the magical reaction, but destroyed it after the beginning, it would still take place, but in far more volatile circumstances. He also clarified that all the digging would have to be manual, as magical catalysts wouldn't be hurt by magic. Presea offered to do the digging if everyone else protected her. As she was the only one with a shovel-like weapon, everyone agreed. Genis was especially worried by the massive key-crestlike armor. When asked about it, his only defense was that "it sounds ominous."

Soon, land was in sight, a series of blips on the horizon, but at the speed they were going, they could see the Flanoir Isles growing. Sheena fortunately had a mapping system installed on her Rheaird, so they could tell which isle was Erethia far before they had to choose one to head to, and thus saved themselves a few precious minutes. They had made good time, just over two and a half hours in a flight that should have taken at least three and a half. Of course, they had highly advanced Rheairds, pushed them harder than they usually would have even considered, and they had the wind at their backs.

It was early autumn, but of course, in Flanoir, snow was nearly year-round, and the first flurry had already arrived in most places. Erethia Isle was bare of this however, and the yellow-gray of dying grass permeated the isle. In fact, as Lloyd approached the island, unseasonable ominous waves of heat fluctuated through the air. Gritting his teeth, Lloyd started his descent

"LOOK!" exclaimed Genis, pointing down at the island. Lloyd's stomach dropped even quicker than his Rheaird. There was a small village located on the very island itself. It was tiny, no larger than a few dozen buildings, but even from the great height he was at, he could see little ants of people scurrying around, performing everyday business. Even a few farmers seemed to be out in fields, unaware of the imminent danger. This was more precarious a situation than Lloyd originally expected. They would have to be careful.

"AND THERE IT IS," completed Sheena, gesturing at a cement dot on the other end of the isle, relatively far away from village, but not nearly distant enough for Lloyd to feel safe. An aerial view gave him some information. Unlike the rest of the island and surrounding area, this part looked rocky, similar to the composition of the cliffs that thrust the entire area out of the cold sea. Like last time, the bunker was on a hill, above the slightly lower test site.

Lloyd was worried about fighting on rocky ground. He had been shifting, stretching during the flight, trying to push his limits, but he was still extremely sore, almost immobilized by his invisible injuries from the mana shield. He didn't want to have to focus on his footing as well as every other possible factor that could go wrong. They were probably going to have increased security, after what happened at the last incident. Hopefully, Orochi would have the sense to send for the king's reinforcements, and Lloyd trusted that he did, but he doubted they would arrive in time anyway. Still, even if everything went perfectly, he would prefer to have some help escaping, or mopping up, or whatever the situation called for.

Still, they were nearing the ground, and Lloyd didn't have to make any conscious decision to press on. His Rheaird did that for him. All he had to do was not stop, which was much easier than having to actually go. He glanced sideways, and caught Sheena's eye. She gave him a nod, acknowledging what they were about to do. They ground was within falling distance now, or at least, a distance that you would be able to survive, and Lloyd could pick out individual boulders that would make his descent more troublesome. The actual test area seemed to be clean, cleared before they needed to do anything.

Even with the swift wind, as they neared the ground, it became so hot that Lloyd felt sweat beads forming on his forehead, than being pushed by the wind backwards into his hear, which was quickly becoming damp. He had forgotten how hot it had been last time. He did not look forward to fighting in these conditions.

Sheena was, as she had been the entire journey, slightly ahead of the rest of the pack. She stored her Rheaird while still in the air, hit the ground, rolled, and turned the momentum into a full on sprint straight at the bunker, where resistance was most likely to come from. Of course, she was, like everyone but Presea, just a distraction while Presea dug for the catalyst.

Lloyd was next, slowing his Rheaird down before hitting the ground, and storing it while only a few inches off the ground, instead of several yards, like Sheena. Still, he was going fairly quickly when he hit the ground, and as he stepped with his left leg, it exploded in pain, almost enough for it to give out under him, send him toppling, rolling in the grass, like a hunted deer, finally shot, but he managed to keep his footing. The first step was the worst. The second was painless, as it was his right leg, and the third, while agonizing, did not threaten to knock him over.

Raine and Genis landed next, bringing their crafts to a full stop before jumping down and running, leaving them far beyond Lloyd and Sheena.

Presea landed next, a good deal behind the group, and immediately began scanning the ground for any signs of disturbed earth, or digging. None of them knew where the circle of red mana tendrils was, as it was still slightly too early. Nonetheless, she pulled her axe off her back, her eyes suspicious. It was difficult, however, to ascertain where something had been buried, as whoever had been prepping the test site had removed all the large rocks, leaving holes, collapsed areas, or small piles of dirt that easily could hide some kind of catalyst under them.

Lloyd was approaching the bunker, its grey door looming in front of him, ready to combat anything or anyone who came out of it, when suddenly…

He didn't even know where they came from, how so many had escaped his view, but suddenly, they were surrounded by dozens, perhaps even hundred of men, brown coated, matching the color of huge rocks. They were advancing from every side, putting a sudden stop to Lloyd's charge. Sheena did the same a few yards ahead of him. The entire clearing was surrounded.

The men were as different as apples and oranges, the only similarity being the brown coats. Some looked like professional soldiers, leather pads, swords, bows, or various other threatening weapons resting comfortably in their hands, as if they were simply extensions of their arms. The vast majority, in contrast, looked like nothing more than ordinary village farmers, wielding nothing more than scythes, pitchforks, clubs, or in some cases, just their fists. Lloyd, with a sinking heart, recognized the strategy. These men were nothing but cannon fodder, ordinary villagers, eager to jump on the chance of some extra money. Probably normal, hard-working men, trying to support their family. They had no idea what they were in for.

Whoever paid these men recognized that no one in Lloyd's party had to actually be killed, just slowed down enough so that they couldn't stop the experiment. Of course, if they did fail at preventing the experiment, the resulting explosion would probably get the first goal done too.

Even if Lloyd was willing to indiscriminately cut through these innocent men, he still wouldn't be able to defeat them all in the fifteen minutes he had left. But now was not the time to think, one of the more experienced-looking ones had just loosed an arrow at him, and though it was no where near to hitting him, Lloyd needed to take anyone with a ranged weapon out of the equation as quickly as possible. Presea made far too easy of a target, and couldn't be distracted to defend herself.

Lloyd changed his course, charging directly at the mass of men surrounding the archer. The wicked, amused grins adorning their faces, the product of perceived superiority by numbers, faltered, as they noticed that Lloyd was heading directly for their knot. They looked to each other for support, some stepped back, counting on the sheer bulk of their group to stop Lloyd from ever reaching them. Others stepped forward, half-heartedly holding their weapons up to stop his rush, as if he were on a horse, and they were a line of pikemen. Lloyd almost smiled, despite the exigency of situation. They seemed to be overly confident in their abilities, and overestimating his at the same time. The man with the bow nocked another arrow and pulled back, taking aim. Lloyd did not make any effort to get out of the way. The man released the arrow, which flew so far to Lloyd's left it was almost laughable, plunging into the ground like a diver into the water. The man's hands were shaking as he pulled a third arrow from his leather quiver, which was already nearly empty, but Lloyd was already too close.

Lloyd chose to make his dash at the weakest part of the barricade, and chose a middle-aged man holding nothing more complicated than a simple farming hoe, pointed blade at Lloyd's face. Lloyd ducked under it, flicking the point away with his sword, and ramming his considerable momentum into the underside of the man's ribcage, crumpling his lungs like paper carrying poor ideas. The man toppled sideways gasping, but Lloyd could tell from the sound he would recover, though not soon enough to re-engage in hostilities, not that he'd want to.

Lloyd pressed through the crowd, which was too closely packed for anyone for anyone to use their weapons, but Lloyd was glad for it. He hadn't intended on killing these men in the first place, and all he used was an occasional parry, spin, kick to the chest, parry, advance through the thick, pressing crowd. By the time, he had reached the archer, he had nocked another arrow, and was holding it quivering at Lloyd's face, but Lloyd just nonchalantly slashed the bottom of the perfectly taut bowstring, which snapped up, whipping the man along the underside of the neck and jawline. Blood appeared instantly as Lloyd cuffed the man's head with Flamberge's handle, creating instant unconscious.

Satisfied, Lloyd spun around, intent on getting out of the pressing crowd of men. Even if they couldn't use their weapons, it was safer not to be running through a crowd of hostiles, completely surrounded. A man missing his front two teeth and holding a large thick knot of wood for a club swung his makeshift weapon at Lloyd, guffawing stupidly. Lloyd blocked the blow easily with Vorpal, then grabbed the man's arm, spun him around, and gave him a kick on the backside, sending him sprawling. Lloyd blocked another blow from an actual iron blade as the man pushed himself to his knees, but Lloyd disengaged from the man with the iron sword and ran at the recovering figure of the man who formerly had the club, kicked off his back, launching himself into the air, both swords held menacingly above his head as he screamed a battle-cry. His voice, still hoarse from yelling his tale, cracked several embarrassing times, but it obviously added to the effect, as all the men beneath his potential path scrambled to get out of the way. Lloyd hit the ground, his left leg aching beyond any normal pain as he turned his forward momentum into a roll.

Of course, he never meant to actually split any heads, but he did effectively free himself from the narrow constraints of fighting in a crowd. He spun around and parried a scythe swinging at his head, then spun, locking his sword in the blade and yanking it from its surprised owner's hands. Lloyd hooked his foot around his assailant's Achilles tendon and pulled it out from under him, sending the man spilling backwards into a crowd attempting to pursue Lloyd, delaying them a few seconds. Lloyd took this opportunity to check on the others in the group.

Genis was faring best; having drawn his new weapon, the large ball and chain whipping around his head with more momentum than Lloyd would like to consider hitting anyone. A few cautious men were slowly advancing towards him, but none of them really looked like a threat, and Genis' spellweaving was more than proficient to keep them back. At the moment, he was helping with a knot of men advancing on Raine.

Raine too, seemed to be faring well, wielding her staff like a Mizuho shaman, dealing out hearty thwacks to anyone brave enough to come near. She was now detoured though, as she needed to heal Sheena.

Sheena was not doing as well. She had charged straight at the largest and probably most well armed group of men by herself, and was now backing away slowly, clutching her cards in one hanging arm, and a large jagged gash on her shoulder in the other. A number of other small wounds peppered her body, but none of them were life threatening. Lloyd felt as if he needed help, but he was the only one keeping the west front from totally enclosing them. Besides, Raine was more than capable of healing Sheena, and taking out a few enemies at the same time.

Presea was struggling to keep so many enemies back at once, especially with such a large and unwieldy weapon as her axe. She was an expert at it, but some of them were attempting to flank her, and she had to take larger swings to keep them back, setting her off balance. Additionally, she hadn't even started to dig to find the catalysts, and that was what they had set out to do originally anyway. If anyone needed help, it was her. Lloyd resolved to make his way over to her after he had dealt with most of the men on his side. Lloyd glanced back, barely managing to bat away a rock someone had thrown at his head away with Flamberge. The reverberations of the sword quickly numbed his hand as he realized how hopeless this prospect truly was. All he could hope for was some kind of dramatic change in the situation, or hope that Presea could frighten off enough of the crowd mobbing her to start digging.

Still, Lloyd could hardly do much to interfere, as he had larger problems of his own. Three men had broken forth from the crowd and were advancing at him, one on his left, one on his right, and one straight at his center. These men all had low-quality, but legitimate blades, probably iron, in addition to hardened leather plates covering some of their more sensitive locations. The one straight in front of Lloyd even had a leather cap as a helm. It wouldn't stop either of Lloyd's elemental blades, but it would make it harder for Lloyd to render him unable to fight without actually killing him. These men were glancing at each other with a dark amusement in their eyes. They had clearly planned out this maneuver, and Lloyd guessed they were probably one of the small bands of traveling mercenaries that still dotted these lands; they seemed more organized than the common peasants that constituted the rest of the crowd.

The one on Lloyd's left swung in unison with his double on Lloyd's other side, and Lloyd brought up both swords to parry them. This had evidently been what the mercenaries wanted, as with a wicked and nearly toothless grin; the third one slashed his blade at Lloyd's now unprotected midriff. Lloyd jumped back and sucked in his stomach, feeling the blade whip past, just barely ripping his suit, but with no other damage. Then, mentally thanking Regal for the lessons, disengaged from the two mercenaries on his sides and took a step forward, then jumped and delivered a massive butterfly kick straight to the man's mostly unprotected jaw. Lloyd swore he could feel the man's jaw snap under his hard boots, whatever teeth the man had left shattered like dropped pottery.

Satisfied, Lloyd landed on one foot, then spun, turning his momentum into a spin as he slashed, Vorpal turning and slashing at the mercenary formerly on Lloyd's right, knocking the blade from his hand, then biting deeply through his leg. The man let out a gurgling scream and collapsed, though Lloyd knew he would be fine if he had the sense to drag himself off the battlefield. The other mercenary had quicker reflexes and attacked again, but Lloyd parried and drove the mercenary's blade into the ground. Noticing how inferior the blade's construction was, Lloyd stepped out and stomped on the blade, splintering it on the ground. But, like Narsíl, the shards were more dangerous than the blade itself, as the mercenary, as the man attempted to pull his weapon away, and the jagged edge of the sword left two long, deep slashes all the way along the length of Lloyd's good leg. Lloyd let out a cry, but stabbed forward man, impaling the man on Flamberge before the man could attack again. With a gasp of surprise, the man keeled backwards. Lloyd winced, sorry that he had to actually kill someone, but now was not the occasion for guilt. They simply didn't have time. Besides, he seemed to be a mercenary, and probably didn't have anyone depending on him. Lloyd limped backward, though he could hardly decide which leg to limp on, his physically injured right one, or his left, where there was no visible injury, but severe, debilitating pain nonetheless.

But he, in addition to everyone around him was distracted, when someone in the crowd near Genis yelled out, "Look!" a note of panic in his voice. Glancing around, Lloyd noticed a circle of points he was standing just outside of, all glowing red, as if some invisible fire was burning beneath them. Doing a quick tally, Lloyd noticed there were thirty-two, more than last time, and the circle they were in seemed smaller too. Lloyd didn't know what it meant, but he had an ominous feeling that it wasn't good.

"Presea!" yelled Raine, "Start digging under one of the nexuses!" Presea darted out from under the arms of the dumbstruck crowd surrounding her, using her diminutive stature to her advantage. She jumped and drove her axe into the ground above the strange red glow, cleaving a huge gash in the earth. Most of the men were too afraid and superstitious to even come near these points, but Presea ripped her axe out of the ground, hurling debris at the few brave enough to follow her towards the magical circle.

Lloyd turned his attention back to his flank, but a second too late, barely registering a fist-size stone hurling at his head from somewhere in the crowd. It smacked him in the forehead and knocked him back a few steps as Lloyd felt warmth blossom from inside his head and begin to drip down into his eyes. Lloyd shook his head to clear it, droplets of blood splattering the ground in front of him. Lloyd wiped at his head, glad to be wearing an outfit blood wouldn't stain. Even as he did, however, he felt more blood trickling down above his right eye. Lloyd blinked, but he could tell that this was going to be a severe annoyance for the rest of the battle.

Fortunately, the strange, magical nature of the circle of mana seemed to be keeping most men at bay, as if it were a ring of fire. Lloyd decided to use this to his advantage and retreated slightly, stepping past the halo of mana into the circle itself. Glancing around, he saw Sheena doing the same, as well as Raine. Genis remained where he was, but the swinging ball above his head created his own circle of safety that was more than adequate for keeping the men back. To Lloyd's dismay, however, the huge revolving metal ball seemed to be dipping lower and lower each swing, Genis' exhaustion beginning to show. It was like placing a marble on the edge of a bowl, and though momentum initially carried it up the other side of the bowl, each time it rolled back and forth; it came slightly closer to stopping entirely.

As if only to add to his distress, Lloyd noticed the red tendrils of mana snaking their way out of under the glowing red nexuses. Glancing up, Lloyd could hardly tell whether or not it was exactly noon or not, and if it wasn't they had but a few minutes. Presea took another swing of her axe, her axe swishing through the mana as easily if it were air, neither having any effect on the other, despite a few narrow cloudy wisps clinging to the blade. Presea still had hit nothing that looked to have any magic at all.

Lloyd's eyes darted around, attempting to determine a helpful course of action. His eyes rested upon the unexplored bunker. There was but one man there, wearing a similar white robe to the ones worn by the researchers at the last station. He seemed to be leaning nonchalantly on some kind of tall walking stick, and even from such a great distance, Lloyd could see the amused grin on his face. Lloyd felt a sudden surge of hate, but he couldn't do anything now, with dozens of innocent, if misguided people between the two of them.

As tangible as a physical warning sign, there was a sudden wave of heat sweeping down over the circle, than splashing out. Lloyd could almost see the little water left in the air evaporating, steaming around them. Lloyd felt the blood on his forehead dry, freezing the upper half of his face. Lloyd scratched it away, but more tricked forth from his head wound. The heat was more intense and focused this time, and more sudden. Last time, the heat had been building for hours, and now, it seemed to arrive in seconds, other than the waves they felt during the Rheaird flight. Last time, Lloyd felt like it was merely a scorching summer day, despite the fact it was early fall. Now, it felt like he was trapped in a massive malfunctioning sauna.

The tendrils of mana rose higher into the air, gliding like parasailors caught in a slow draft. "Trouble," grunted Sheena, standing directly to Lloyd's right. Lloyd hadn't noticed her before, but she seemed to be fairing even worse than him, crusty blood covering her arm, though the gash seemed to have been at least partially healed by Raine. She still seemed to be having a difficult time fighting so many at once, and had sustained massive bruises all along her arms, shoulders, even a large black eye. She looked like she had been in a bar fight. Lloyd felt anger flare inside of him, and his empathy towards these ordinary men seemed to evaporate. He was just glad that most of them were fighting without edged weapons, or Sheena would certainly be in worse condition.

Lloyd now looked where she had indicated, and noticed one of the men, dressed in ancient, rusty iron plate armor, carrying a contrastingly well-maintained, but still iron blade standing facing the crowd, back to Lloyd. He seemed to be making some kind of speech, emphatically pumping his sword in the air, yelling inspiration to the villagers. "Looks like we have a leader," laughed Sheena, without a trace of humor. He certainly did seem to be riling up the men for one final attack. Lloyd heard the dull thud of Presea's axe once more, and noticed Genis casting a massive Ground Dasher, then stop the momentum of his swinging ball against the ground, and drag it into the circle, near the rest of them. He was gasping for breath, his exhausted right arm completely limp as he tried to gain some rest for it.

"Watch out," cautioned Raine. The man in the rusty armor had turned, and begun his charge straight at the circle. Presea's axe thudded into the ground again, still with no results. The armored man had gained enough followers to shame the rest into joining in the desperate charge straight at Lloyd, Sheena, Raine and Genis. Fortunately, Presea was behind them, and mostly safe.

"Genis," advised Raine, "Despite your weariness, I'd start swinging your weapon again." Genis exhaled deeply and desperately again, still trying to regain his composure, but bit his lip and nodded. Muscles bulging, and tears forming at the corners of his eyes, he managed to give the massive ball and chain enough momentum to keep him safe, eking the last possible strength from his totally spent arm. Genis bit his lip again, until Lloyd could see drips of red blossoming from it. With speed that only came with years of practice, Genis began spitting out the incantation for Tidal Wave, an apt choice in the heat, thought Lloyd, wiping dried blood from his eye, which was beginning to crust over. It was an almost intolerable annoyance, but there were more pressing matters.

The wave of men had reached the circle, carefully skirting the rising beams of mana as if they were diseased corpses, though running straight through them wouldn't do the men harm anyway. Lloyd exhaled, and then dove back into battle. This time, as the men were mostly on one flank, Lloyd had the opportunity to fight more safely, with Sheena at his back, and Genis standing nearby, the sweeping arc of his ball and chain clearing the area as effectively as a raging bonfire. Still, the trails of mana rose in the air, spiraling around, weaving themselves into a conical cage around the entire battle. Still, Presea dug, and still she found nothing.

Genis' Tidal Wave washed dozens of men away from the battle, cooling Lloyd and giving him a few seconds. "Presea!" he yelled over the turmoil of men being washed away. "Any progress?"

"None!" she replied. "But I've gone really deep! I'm beginning to think there's nothing here!"

"Why would they bury the catalysts so deep?" questioned Raine, clubbing a man over the head with the butt end of her staff. Lloyd parried the blow of a common farming scythe and headbutted the owner, knocking him back, when he noticed the hum.

It started low, but quiet, like a large bee was flying behind him, and Lloyd shook it off. He had been stung by a bee during a battle before, and it was a painful and unnecessary distraction. But his theory was quickly disproved, as the noise crescendoed rapidly, from the noise of a bee, to the noise of an idling engine, to the noise of a massive earthquake, and Lloyd could feel it in the hair on the back of his neck, vibrations shaking the very air, turning from a hum into a roar. Lloyd didn't recall this from the last experiment, and that did not bode well.

At least, if one good thing could be said, the noise was distracting the men, already fearful because of the magical tendrils, was terrifying them to the point that the combat reached total cessation, the frightened men glancing around, looking for the source of the noise.

Lloyd followed their gaze, and drew the same conclusion they had come to. The heavens themselves were roaring disapproval down at the earth, the sun pulsating freakily, light and heat crashing wave upon wave down to the earth. Everyone stared for a moment or two, until the hum suddenly stopped, and the panic set in. From the crowd, someone screamed, his hoarse, rough voice slaughtering the newborn silence. His voice was the first in a chorus that followed, as men began scattering in every direction, fleeing the wrath of the sun.

"Lloyd!" Sheena's voice could be heard above the screams of all the men, as it was higher-pitched than most, as she was one of only three females present. "Watch out for the one on the hill! He's up to something!" Lloyd turned his attention to the white-robed researcher perched atop the hill. He was indeed, 'up to something' his walking stick now at eye-level, aimed at Presea, his eye peering over the top like a telescope. He pointed it at her like a surveyor's line, but something in the way he did it made Lloyd suspect it wasn't so innocent.

Lloyd shoved his way through the terrified crowd of fleeing men, though most of them were surging in the opposite direction, making his way difficult. He broke free quickly, however, and quickly picked up speed, barreling across the large flat area straight at the man on the hill.

The researcher noticed, unfortunately, and turned his sights on Lloyd, aiming his stick straight at him. Lloyd noticed that his walking stick was actually hollow, more like a tube of wood than a legitimate walking stick, but Lloyd didn't feel like contemplating why. Passion and anger blurred out any voice of reason in his head.

Behind him, there was a 'thunk' of Presea's axe, followed by a 'chink!'. "I've hit something!" she exclaimed. "But it's just rock! They didn't bury it here after all!"

"Wait…" Lloyd heard Genis begin to connect the pieces behind him. "They focal point of magical catalysts is where mana makes it manifestation…and the focal point is…between catalysts…" Genis' eyes flew wide open. "Presea! Dig between the mana beams!" he screamed desperately.

"Look out, Lloyd!" shrieked Sheena from behind him, and for the first time, Lloyd suddenly considered how foolhardy it was for a weary, injured, and emotion-governed person to charge directly at a calm, rationally thinking person with unknown technology pointed straight at the first person.

But it was too late, and a crack like the cleaving of a mountain rent the air. "Guardian!" cried Lloyd, a green shield of magical energy extending out of his body, as Lloyd desperately tried to stop his momentum. And, in his final few seconds of conscious, time appeared to slow down to Lloyd. As the translucent greenish shield of mana exploded out of his body, Lloyd noticed a small projectile flying towards him at speeds Lloyd didn't even consider possible. The tiny projectile that Lloyd could only compare to an arrowhead, without the actual shaft attached met his shield in the air, and with no loss of velocity, crashed into it, stretching it like a child sitting on a blanket held in the air by older relatives. And then, without even a hint of sound, his shield shattered, green shards of mana flying off in all directions, then quickly dissipating like ink poured in a pond, the insignificant bullet of metal thudding remorselessly into his chest. Lloyd stood there for a moment, the only look on his face the pained innocence of utter confusion, absolute mystification, and he keeled over backwards. He hit the ground with no feeling anywhere, other than the images his eyes ceaselessly transmitted to his bewildered brain, and a dull buzzing in his ears.

Lloyd stared up in total perplexity, his normal emotions seeming to lose their function. He noted the spear of pure light hurtled by the sun, careening straight down at him, about to obliterate completely what was Lloyd Irving. But then, from behind him, over all the distant screams, fading crashes, he heard one more dull 'thunk' of an axe, followed by the tinkling of breaking glass. Perhaps Presea had hit one of the catalysts, mused Lloyd listlessly. He found that nothing really mattered to him at this point. And, as if to support his apathetic theory, the huge piercing javelin of light splintered into thousands of thin, radiating lances of light, crashing down in all directions, peppering the ground all around. Lloyd, with mild interest noted that one of the larger spikes of light rushed off at a sharp angle, along with some of the others, seemingly in the direction of the catalyst that Presea broke, though Lloyd could tell they would pass far over her. That was good, he thought weakly, though thinking didn't seem to be his strong suit right now.

And then, a black silhouette passed in front of his vision, and though he could see the nearly black shape's mouth moving, the voice coming from it seemed muffled, far away, like a sob in a dense forest. "Sheena…" thought Lloyd, with mild pleasure. He was glad she was here to see him off, though to what, he didn't know. And, like much else recently, his vision seemed to obscure, and be obliterated by bright white light.


	14. Chapter 14

For some indeterminate amount of time, Lloyd lapsed in and out of a state of semi-conscious, though conscious wasn't even the exact word to describe it. It was more like awareness, though without coherent thought. He was aware that there were things going on around him, he was aware that he knew the people around him, his mind pulled their names out of its vast infinity, but he couldn't remember how he knew them.

The earliest memory, like a fading dream, seemed to be black-and-white, and soundless, though Lloyd knew what the people were saying. It was as if his brain recognized and interpreted the signals his ears were sending him, but he wasn't 'hearing' them in the normal way. Nonetheless, it was a short recollection. Standing in front of him were two figures, facing each other, at the foot of a bed, a bed he seemed to be lying in.

"…done everything I can!" Lloyd recognized the voice as Raine's, but it was so ragged and emotion torn, cracking with exhaustion, that he hardly recognized the normally calm voice of the Professor.

_'Raine is a professor…'_ remembered Lloyd, his mind realizing what it knew.

"I've poured every last spark of healing magic into him, but nothing happens, the wound won't close!"

"Raine, you have to remove the bullet from the wound!" Lloyd recognized the low voice as Regal, though he seemed far more flustered than usual. Lloyd had the vague impression that Regal hadn't been with them for a little while, and he must have come to visit Lloyd. Lloyd smiled subconsciously at the kind gesture, and temporarily floated back into white oblivion.

He came to, or at least, approached coming to a little later, in his memory. "Why isn't he waking up?" Lloyd heard Genis' voice penetrate his thoughts. It was strange, thought Lloyd. He was still most familiar with a higher voice, the one of a younger Genis, and this new one, while recognizable, threw Lloyd off a little.

"You saw what happened when he tried to cast Guardian." Raine's sigh wafted through his thoughts again. "The 'bullet,' as Regal calls it, shattered his spell, cutting off his body's contact with the mana before it was finished. It's not healthy for that to happen, even though there are rarely powerful enough forces to actually sever flows of mana. His body seems to have regressed into some deep state of shock."

"But he is going to be alright, isn't he?" Presea was there too, apparently.

"That remains to be seen," answered Raine, total exhaustion the only emotion portrayed in her voice.

"Come on, Lloyd," Genis whispered. "You can make it! I know you can make…" but his voice faded off again.

What followed was a long silence, though he didn't yet have the strength to move, or even fully open his eyes. Additionally, he seemed to be blacking out occasionally, or else the dark shapes of people walking by could also teleport, vanishing suddenly from his sight.

He caught other snatches of conversation, although only a few of them gave him words useful to discovering what happened. He heard Raine's voice shout "…critical!" at one point, though he had no context. "Twelve probably…" was another segment, though he didn't recognize the speaker. A little later, the same voice laughed cynically, "…some leader, huh?" Lloyd had the vague idea it was an insult, but he couldn't do anything anyway.

The last thing Lloyd recalled from his state of near unconscious was a little longer, to his great happiness. His recollection began halfway through a sentence, and he managed to identify the voice as Sheena's. She seemed oddly calm, as if she had taken a while to contemplate what she was going to say.

"…probably can't hear me," Lloyd's ears began functioning at that point, though he had seen the dim outline of her form in his impaired vision before. "But, I feel like I just have to say this."

Her silhouette took a seat on the side of Lloyd's bed. Mild annoyance, the first sensible reaction he had felt in his subconscious state flashed through Lloyd's mind, as he hadn't yet figured out how to move his neck, and he could see her much better when she stood. He could hardly see her anyway, but he still felt like he should be able to look at the person who was talking to him.

"Lloyd…" he heard her voice, and listened intently, drawn mentally towards outside stimulus like a tree growing towards sources of light. "…I just want to let you know how worried…everyone else is…including me." She sighed. "Do you know how hard it is to carry out a conversation with someone who can't respond?" She laughed breathily once. "Lloyd, you're the glue holding this group together. You're the reason we all met in the first place, and then, when things got really tough, for any of us, we could always count on you…" she trailed off.

She just sat there for a few seconds, staring off to Lloyd's right, as Lloyd could tell by the way her profile faced. "We could count on you to be there when we really needed a shoulder to cry on. You would never abandon your friends." She sniffed, and Lloyd could tell she was getting a little weepy, which was unusual for Sheena. "Like when you insisted on saving Raine and Genis, even after discovering they were half-elves, even though you knew that it was going to destroy any chances of successfully carrying out any political mission. Or…or when you insisted that I could take on Volt…and then you comforted me after Corrine's death…I mean, that's when I really began to…Never mind," she laughed, clearing her throat of any moisture that was building up from emotion.

"Lloyd…I guess all I'm really saying is…We can't live without you. I can't live without you. I could cry on your shoulder when Corrine died, whose shoulder could I cry on if you die?" Lloyd mentally laughed, although his body seemed to be unresponsive. He obviously wasn't dying if he could hear her, and he befuddled mind couldn't understand why she thought he was going to die at all.

Sheena shook her head. Lloyd attempted vainly to open his eyes further, but everything was as dark as before. "You're not going to die though," she denied the very idea though. "You've survived worse things, and come out fine. You won't die. You can't!" she exclaimed vehemently.

She was quiet for a second, unsure of where to pick up. "I mean…I remember when I first met you, and was determined that you were absolutely evil, dead set on destroying my home world of Tethe'alla. Even with that assumption, I had to concede that at least you had some heroic qualities, like mercy…and friendship. Then…when I actually joined the group to help out…" She trailed off again, then evidently decided to skip to a part at which she actually had something to say. "I remember the first time I saw you and Colette having a conversation, I started to feel jealous. At first…I ignored it, saying that I was just missing my friends back in Tethe'alla…but in time, I admitted to myself that I was jealous because I didn't have any friends anywhere that I could talk to like that….tell them everything, trust them with my life." She was speaking softer, or at least that's what Lloyd thought originally. His second impression was that she was getting further away, and Lloyd was startled and confused, wondering why she would be leaving while still talking to him. Lloyd soon realized, however, that he was the one getting further away, slipping back into his subconscious. "But even that wasn't really it…I can see that now. I mean, I tried to ignore it at the time, and I managed to suppress it, but now I can see what was really happening…is happening." Lloyd fought desperately for conscious, struggling to hear her finish her explanation, trying his hardest to find out where his eyes were, then open them, figure out what part of his brain was the active part, and force it to work.

Lloyd struggled with his body for a second, and suddenly sat up with a start and a gasp, his arms and legs spasming wildly. He stared at the side of his bed, but it was completely without Sheena. Bright light streamed in through the window. Lloyd sighed. He had lost conscious once more before waking up, and Sheena was now gone. He probably was never going to hear the end of what she had to say.

Lloyd looked around the room, although what he noticed was more about him own body than the surrounding area. As he attempted to move his neck, his body seemed to not want to. His mind was interested in exploring what he had missed while unconscious, but his body felt sickly, weak, exhausted. There wasn't actually any pain in his neck, or anywhere else in his body, but he just felt feeble. It was as if he had spent several months without doing anything but lying in a bed. Of course, for all he knew, that was very well could have been what occurred. He had no idea how long he had been out.

The room was of crude workmanship, a light and tired layer of plaster half-heartedly covering the mud-brick walls. The bed seemed to be nothing more than a big burlap sack stuffed with straw, but it was surprisingly comfortable, and familiar. He was glad he wasn't on a down feather bed, whenever he slept in them, his back hurt the next morning, and he could only imagine if he had been lying here for days, possibly weeks. A linen cloth, hanging from a line drawn across the room served as a curtain shrouding the rest of the room from his view. Lloyd reached out his arm to grab the curtain and pull it back, but it was a few inches beyond his grasp, and his arm went swinging away like a pendulum.

Lloyd blinked twice, his eyes tingling, the same way they do when a person has lain in bed for far too long, but still doesn't want to get up. Lloyd rolled over a little in bed, trying to avoid too dramatic of movements, his weak muscles protesting, seeming to elongate to their limits at even the smallest stretch. Lloyd rocked himself off the bed, his feet hitting the floor, and pulling him straight up. Lloyd smiled, and then froze suddenly, wincing. There was a tickle building in his chest, the overwhelming urge to cough, expel phlegm, but Lloyd knew the feeling, and also knew that phlegm would not be the only thing expelled. The cough was accompanied by an ache in his chest, the ache of broken ribs, and if Lloyd began coughing now, the pain in his ribs might send him back onto the bed he just got off of, and soon phlegm would turn into blood. Lloyd shuddered and inhaled shakily, but the desire passed, and the tickling ceased. Lloyd blew air from between his lips, shaped to an 'O'.

He looked down to examine himself, and discovered that he was still wearing his normal red suit, still ripped from the battle, and covered in dark, crusty spots where he had bled on it. In a battle, blood did nothing to affect his suit, as it was red anyway, but afterwards, it darkened and made the suit rigid like starch. Lloyd looked down at the area where he felt his ribs tickling. There was a large, straight rip going down his suit that he didn't remember receiving during the battle. Lloyd hoped that Raine had to cut his clothes away in order to heal him, and not that he had been attacked while unconscious. Lloyd cautiously opened the slit slightly, a pile of white bandaged attached to his chest. Lloyd had a flashback of the small metal nugget sinking into his flesh, and hoped to himself that it wasn't there anymore.

Lloyd wondered silently why Raine had not healed him completely. Broken ribs were hardly past her abilities. Either she hadn't noticed, a possibility he found unlikely, given Raine's experience and prowess in healing, or she hadn't had the energy to deal with anything less than life-threatening, a more sobering, and more likely possibility. But he chose to ignore that unpleasant thought right now, and shook himself, then took a step away from his bed, around the curtain, to see what the rest of the room contained.

As Lloyd poked his head around the curtain, he saw very little. The room was divided into six segments by curtains identical to his, each pair of curtains sandwiching a bed between them, though except for one, they were unoccupied. The second to last bed from the door, which led into a hallway that extended to the right, away from Lloyd's view, contained a person, though all Lloyd could see was the bottom of her legs and her feet, clad in white slippers in the Mizuho style, with a black binding running up the middle. At least, Lloyd assumed that it was a 'her', that the person was female. Of course, it could simply be a man with very slender, hairless legs, but Lloyd doubted that.

Lloyd advanced cautiously, unsure of whether the girl in the bed was awake. As he glanced to the sides, it was clear that, while the empty beds were completely bare, they had been filled recently, as demonstrated by the rumpled conditions of the sheets, and the ominous dark stains on the burlap and straw beds, the linen curtains, and occasionally the mud-brick walls. Lloyd came to the conclusion he was in some kind of a makeshift hospital, possibly necessitated by injuries incurred during the battle. Still, though, he hadn't seen any women at the battle, and nonetheless, there was one here.

Lloyd peered around the curtain, and saw the woman, or more accurately, the girl. She could hardly be older than sixteen or seventeen, Lloyd could tell by her young face. She was unconscious and unmoving, supporting Lloyd's theory that this was some sort of trauma clinic. She looked very delicate, fragile, like a china doll in a black, coarse and common dress. Even her skin fit the look, pale, almost pasty white. The features on her alabaster face were partially obscured by straight, short silky black hair, damp with sweat, clinging to her forehead. It was somewhat unusual hair however, in that for no reason Lloyd could determine, the tips and small streaks that would always die out before reaching her scalp, were perfectly white, like chalk. The overall effect was somewhat strange, but Lloyd was glad for the girl's sake that the strips of white were thin, otherwise he had the feeling she'd look like a skunk. Lloyd brushed her bangs from her face to see if he could identify her, but with no luck. She had very fine features, though small. Her eyes were thin, along with nose. Her lips were pale and unhealthy looking. She seemed to have almost no chin, her neck curving up into her face almost interrupted. Though her circumstances, sickly and drenched in sweat made her appear slightly unpleasant to look on, Lloyd could tell that she was, in reality, a very pretty young girl.

Lloyd looked down to see if she was injured, and recoiled in horror, as he realized that his earlier assumption was incorrect. When Lloyd had quickly examined her earlier, he had assumed that she was simply wearing a black garment. He was woefully inaccurate. Her dress had originally been as brown as the bed she now lay on, as revealed by the shoulders of the dress, which were undamaged. The rest was scorched by some wave of heat so powerful that it had blackened her entire dress. To his growing revulsion and horror, Lloyd realized that what he observed wasn't even the extent of her injury. Additionally, the dress had completely burned away over her stomach, but Lloyd had failed to notice it, because what ever had incinerated the dress had also scorched her skin as black as obsidian, like the remains of the cloth on the fringe of the burn. Some of the dress was even fused into her smoldered flesh.

Lloyd was astounded that anyone could possibly survive even for more than a moment, let alone however long he had been unconscious, and appalled that no one was here, treating her. Lloyd, with his little medical training couldn't do anything, but nonetheless, he did his best, removing his glove and extending his hand nervously. He placed it on her forehead and held it there, attempting to determine if she had a fever. The nerves in his hand tingled for a moment, as if in preparation for something, and Lloyd, with a blast of pain, quickly realized what it was. Her forehead was so hot he felt like he had just picked up a rock that had been sitting in the fire pit. With a yelp, he jumped back. In wild confusion, Lloyd looked desperately between his already blistering hand and the girl's forehead. Lloyd wondered in amazement how the girl's organs hadn't already melted under such a high fever. The thought then occurred to him that perhaps this was beyond his healing abilities, and perhaps he should fetch Raine.

Lloyd tuned quickly and dashed from the room into the mud-brick hallway. He looked both ways, but one only led to a balcony, informing Lloyd that he was on the second story of a building. The other direction led to a large room, which Lloyd ran too, his muscles already burning slightly after their long, degenerative lethargy.

Lloyd burst into the room, though the drama was decreased by the lack of a door. He was presented with another room similar to the one he woke up in, though there were no curtains, and every bed in this room was filled by conscious patients. He heard a few amazed murmurs, of "Lloyd Irving…The Hero of the Saviors…" or other such annoying reverences. These people didn't look as bad off as the girl in Lloyd's room, most of them conscious, and few seriously injured, although Lloyd noted that there was an approximately even distribution of men and women, even a small child, probably barely over six. Kneeling over this child was a blue-haired man who looked up in surprise as Lloyd entered.

"Regal?" asked Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" exclaimed Regal happily, leaping to his feet. "You're awake!"

"Aren't you supposed to be in Alta- Ooof!" He was immediately crushed in Regal's bear hug, so tight that Lloyd could barely breathe, and his chest was exploding in pain. "…ribs…ribs…" Lloyd wheezed. Regal dropped him suddenly.

"I apologize," he intoned sheepishly, slightly embarrassed by his outburst of emotion, "but for a time after you were shot, we were all rather unsure of your survival, so you'll have to excuse my reaction."

"After I was what?" asked Lloyd. "I was shot, but that wasn't any kind of arrow I know."

"No, it certainly wasn't," replied Regal laughing at Lloyd's innocence. "The weapon that shot you is an invention called a rifle, and the original design was drawn by none other than…"

"Lloyd is awake?" Genis' voice interrupted from another room, and with the sound of scampering feet beating a tattoo on the mud floors, Genis skidded into the room.

"…myself," finished Regal, "though I found, after some testing, the weapon was far too powerful for me to release, even destroying magical shields, as was demonstrated by you." Genis hit Lloyd like a ton of bricks, knocking out what little air was left in his lungs. Lloyd inhaled rasping, his lungs feeling as dry and dusty as twin broom sticks.

Lloyd patted Genis' head with one hand, attempting to push him away with the other. "Genis…Genis…my ribs are injured…" Lloyd hacked. Genis noticed, and moved his hands down, so that he wasn't touching Lloyd's ribs anymore, but he still didn't release Lloyd. He decided that perhaps it would be a futile battle to try to dislodge Genis, and instead diverted his attention to Regal.

"I therefore incinerated all plans and prototypes of the weapon, but it seems that it was still developed independently of my thinking. The rifle works by using explosives or springs to propel a small metal bullet directly at a target. We've encountered different varieties of guns before, but the rifle is different mainly because it spins the bullet as it fires, giving it pinpoint accuracy, and extreme speeds. Fortunately, Sheena managed to get a hold of the weapon after the…disaster and I have ascertained that it is not being mass-produced based on the quality of the parts."

"What? I'm sorry Regal…I…I didn't get two-thirds of that…and…and what disaster?" asked Lloyd, Genis finally relinquishing his grip around Lloyd's midriff. "What happened after I blacked out?"

Genis and Regal looked to each other awkwardly. "Well…you see…er…at about the same time you were…um…being shot…" Genis explained awkwardly. He looked to Regal for support.

"I was not present until a day ago, so I believe you would have a more reliable account, Genis."

"…Well, at around that time, Presea managed to hit a catalyst in the ground,"

"Someone call me?" asked Presea, walking in. "I thought I heard…Lloyd!" She exclaimed, the corners of her mouth inflating.

"Glad to see you too, don't hugtheribs!" Lloyd blurted as she approached quickly.

"Oh, right, sorry," she laughed stopping. "How could I be so careless to forget your injury?" Genis and Regal guiltily coughed simultaneously.

"Er…anyway, so Presea destroyed the catalyst," continued Genis, eager to change the subject, "but the experiment had already begun, so the effects were totally unpredictable…and disastrous. The mana went out of control without all of the catalysts forcing it into the center of the circle with equal pressure, so it burst out and…um…streaked toward the small island village, obliterating the town general store…and…"

"And everyone in it," finished Regal grimly.

"What?!" exploded Lloyd. "How many casualties?" A sinking feeling in stomach came at Regal's grim face, and informed him that it wasn't just one or two.

"Eleven," confessed Regal. "And that's just from the village. There were eight more from the battle, plus two permanently crippled."

"Twenty-one…" Lloyd mused, suddenly feeling surprisingly calm. The number was just large enough that he couldn't exactly contemplate how many people were dead. Right now it was just a statistic to him, though he knew that soon, he would feel how real these people's deaths really were.

"Possibly twenty-two," admitted Regal. "Raine has managed to stabilize all of the injured except for one, and the way things are headed now; she's probably going to go too."

They stood there in silence for a moment. "I'm going to go get Raine and Sheena, they probably want to know how you are." Genis excused himself.

Lloyd turned back to Regal. "So how about on information? Did we happen to capture the man with the rifle thingy?" Lloyd asked with his face a picture of dejection. He had no reason to be optimistic, how could they have acquired any useful information if they couldn't even fulfill their first objective, to keep the town safe.

"Well…actually," Regal glanced around, as if to ascertain their surroundings were secure, though there were many other injured patients in the room, who could clearly hear their entire conversation. "In reality, we were a little luckier on that front. When we investigated the bunker built near the blast zone we discovered…"

"Lloyd is awake?!" Sheena's incredulous voice bounced into the room from somewhere down a story. Lloyd suddenly recalled his earlier memory, though it seemed as hazy as a dream now, or like a severed trail of thought he was trying to remember. In either case, it was refreshing to hear. Light footsteps bounced up some steps somewhere, and Sheena skidded into the room. Her hair was slightly unkempt, her eyes were baggy and red, and her kimono was disheveled, all signs of sadness and wasting away, but everything else about her was exactly inverse, her face beaming with unconvinced joy that bloomed to fruition as she lay her eyes on him. Her mouth opened slowly, and suddenly, before he could even tell that she had moved, she was slamming into him with more force than he thought a barely one hundred pound girl could muster, knocking the air out of his lungs, and causing an explosion of pain across his chest where his ribs were broken. At first, he sensibly thought she was attacking him, and struggled to fathom an explanation, or a defense, but that theory was dispelled as he looked down and saw her wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. He quickly realized she was having the same reaction as Genis and Regal, if a bit more passionately. Lloyd tactfully put his arms around her too, realizing they were hanging awkwardly at his sides.

And as he put his arms around her, she pulled him in a little tighter, and Lloyd found his thinking obscured. She was shorter than him when standing, the top of her head reaching his nose. With her head bowed into his shoulder, Lloyd's head was directly over the crown of her hair, which she had simply put into a ponytail. Her hair smelled like pine and tradition. Of course, the second association was because Mizuho smelled like pine and was very traditional, but Lloyd felt himself very poetic nonetheless. The pain in his chest seemed to dissipate as he inhaled the familiar aroma. Sheena shifted her head and placed it in the crook of his neck, and Lloyd felt her tremble. Lloyd wondered what was wrong for a second, before he heard a muffled sniff, and realized that she was quietly and privately sobbing softly into his shoulder. Lloyd wasn't exactly sure why, or what to do, so he had to suffice to pat her back softly and subtly, so as not to be mocked by Genis or any of the others.

"Move," ordered Raine to Sheena, accompanying the command by putting her hands on Lloyd and Sheena's shoulders and pushing them apart. "I'm glad to see you as well, Lloyd, but you understand that I must be practical first."

"Of…of course," agreed Sheena, stepping away from Lloyd, though as soon as they separated, their eyes locked. Sheena's eyes were still slightly wet, and she was breathing heavily from the crying. Suddenly a look of fear crossed her face, like a criminal who has just accidentally incriminated himself; she looked like she was scared that she had revealed too much, shown too deep of her thoughts. Lloyd returned her gaze for a minute in puzzlement, but after a few eternal moments, he broke gaze first, prompted by a sharp prod to his ribcage.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "Those are broken!"

"Indeed," agreed Raine, standing back up. "Forgive me, when I initially treated you, I was too tired to concentrate on much else than keeping you alive, and I seem to have forgotten your other injuries. Allow me to correct my mistake."

"Please," agreed Lloyd. Out of the corner of his eye, Lloyd noticed Genis nudging Presea, and not-so-subtly whispering in her ear,

"Notice he doesn't whine or complain when Sheena smash-hugs him," he whispered, amused, "But his old friend who wanted to give him a nice, gentle embrace, of course not." Genis' tone clearly implied he had no hard feelings, but Lloyd was annoyed nonetheless. Presea seemed to find it very amusing.

Raine tapped the tip of her staff on Lloyd's chest, her eyes closed in concentration. There was a small pulse of light, and Lloyd felt like someone had wrapped a damp cloth around his ribs, underneath his skin. It was slightly cold, but still soothing. Raine stood up and swayed in place. "It seems I'm still a little unstable. I wearied myself too much healing other patients. I am recovering though."

"As I was saying, before interrupted," continued Regal, uncharacteristically seeming a bit put-out, though Lloyd assumed that he was simply a little irascible due to the stressful time the entire party had been experiencing. "There is a little more hope in the area of where to go from here. After assuring that everyone here was going to survive, I took a little time to investigate the bunker, and while searching for leads, accidentally tripped over a thin wire embedded in the doorway. I pulled it, and discovered that a folded up piece of paper was speared on the end." Regal reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper folded in fourths, though it had been folded up more before that, indicated by the grid of creases crisscrossing it, each square containing a small hole in the middle, presumably where the folded up piece of paper had been skewered by the wire. "This is it."

Lloyd took it and unfolded it. It read,

_To my hopefully soon-to-be friends,_

_This is a little something to get you started._

_-Flakeon Gorge_

_-Anthus, Drenhous Affair_

_-Torosian Acquisition_

_Wishing you well and hoping to see you all again,_

_J._

Lloyd looked to the others, confused. "What is this?"

"It's a list of things worth investigation, I'd assume," stated Regal blandly, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Wait…but…" stammered Lloyd.

"Evidently someone likes us, someone with inside information on the Tethe'allan Superiority Group, and someone whose name begins with a 'J'." Regal paused. "Sheena had a theory," commented Regal helpfully.

Lloyd and Sheena locked eyes. "Jasper…" Lloyd breathed.

"That's what I assumed," agreed Sheena, "But I can't figure out why."

"Well, he did seem to think himself charismatic," laughed Lloyd cynically. "And he had one of those 'tragic-hero' complexes. Maybe he thinks that we can help him out, though if he's expecting us to befriend him after this alone, he's in for a surprise."

"Well, this has already proved extremely useful," justified Regal. "I don't know if it's enough for us to forgive him, but Zelos seemed very excited at the prospect of investigating the Drenhous Affair, it was a rather major political scandal, and he says he just needs new ground to…" But Regal was cut off once more, but this time by a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream from the room behind him, as if a banshee had been unleashed, and Lloyd suddenly remembered why he had been in such a hurry to meet the rest of his party in the first place.

"Raine!" he exclaimed. "There's a girl in the room I was in who has a fever so high that--"

"Dawn…" breathed Raine, and bolted off down the corridor.

"Wha…" but fortunately Lloyd's brain was quicker than his mouth, and he followed her, along with the rest of the group.

"A girl…named Dawn Raiyed. I treated her, but I knew she was terminal," gasped Raine as the rounded the corner into the hall leading into Lloyd's room, "But she didn't die, and I didn't have energy to figure out how she was still alive, so I didn't bother, and I forgot after…" But she was interrupted as the scream crescendoed beyond any normal limits of human volume or breath span, and with a sudden deafening blast like an earthquake gorging a continent in two, like the moon smashing into the earth, like the fabric of the world being torn apart, the corridor filled with a blinding light and an incinerating heat that Lloyd only just managed to cover his face from with his arm before it rushed past behind him.

In front of him, Raine lowered a Force Field she had evidently just barely thrown up in the moment between Lloyd seeing the light and feeling the heat, and her form, nothing more than a black shadow in Lloyd's light-blasted eyes, simple stood there in disbelief, but Lloyd pressed past her and made it into the doorway. He scrubbed his eyes, attempting to scour the white blindness from them, and opened his eyes once more.

Gazing into the room, all Lloyd could see was black walls, the curtains and beds reduced to nothing but ash plastered against the walls and ceiling, and blackening the section of hallway directly behind the open doorway. But looking down at the charred floor, Lloyd suddenly spotted what he had been looking at.

Dawn Raiyed lay along the ground, gazing up at the ceiling and, in utter bewilderment, sat up, trying to determine her surroundings. As the only spot of color in the room, Lloyd instantly drew her attention and met her eyes. She cocked her head, looking like a confused puppy, but all Lloyd could do in return was slowly take a step back and away.


	15. Chapter 15

Lloyd stared at the setting sun, its rapidly dulling orange glow almost making him forget the catastrophic power contained in that massive orb. He inhaled, reflecting on everything that had gone wrong in the past few days, the constant and rapid climaxes of action, all of them resulting in immediate disasters. He shifted his weight between feet to become more comfortable, but was disturbed from his meditation by the sound of a pebble shifting under his weight and beginning a rapid tumbling descent into the massive black crater Lloyd now sat above. It tumbled head over heels, smacking into other rocks, flipping up into the air, rolling over sand and pebbles. Yet, the entire short journey, it was alone, and no matter what ever rocks it smacked into, they refused to move, remaining motionless on the slope as the pebble careened down the slope. Lloyd watched it with no interest, simply because he had to avoid thinking if he wanted to retain any semblance of sanity right now. He soon lost the pebble, however, in the vast abyssal-black crater, trees, rocks, dirt, even changes in terrain charred beyond recognition or distinguishing.

Occasionally, Lloyd would spot the remains of a weapon, dropped during the fighting, like a piece of a sword, or the curved blade of a scythe, though the handle had long since combusted. Some of the metal was even bent out shape, melted from the impossible heat of the blast. Lloyd tried not to imagine what the corpses or the people who hadn't been able to escape from the crater, due to injury or misfortune now looked like. Lloyd was beginning to think that Martel had lied, and had been protecting him after all. The only spot in the entire valley not scorched black was a small section where most of Lloyd's party had been standing, and a couple feet around them. It was impossible luck, but Lloyd knew that he had always had that.

Soon, Lloyd heard a worthier distraction approaching from behind him with the soft crunch of unprotected feet on gravel. The steps were light and graceful, and Lloyd assumed that Sheena was approaching from behind him.

"Evening…" he murmured, though he didn't move.

"Good evening, Lloyd," came a voice from behind him, but it was not Sheena's. It was soft, delicate, and light, like a gliding bird, flitting over a valley. Lloyd turned to see who he was addressing. Dawn Raiyed stood there bashfully, holding her limp arm uncomfortably, though she was now dressed in a baggy white robe instead of the charred dress Lloyd had seen her in earlier. Lloyd nodded and turned his back to her, resuming his staring at the sunset.

Lloyd heard Dawn move behind him, approaching him to sit next to him. "So, Raine finally decided that you were well enough to move around by yourself?" He laughed, remembering Raine's emphatic protection of Dawn earlier that day. As soon as she had seen the explosion of light and heat that Dawn had caused, and confirmed everyone had survived unharmed, she had grabbed Dawn by the hand and yanked her to her feet, then pulled her into a different, undamaged room, and had locked the door, refusing to let anyone see either of them.

"Yeah," replied Dawn, a smile gracing her features for the first time Lloyd had seen. "It wasn't too bad though. Mostly just a bunch of questions, and a few simple spells she used on me."

"And?" asked Lloyd expectantly.

"And what?" replied Dawn, a little confused.

"Well, what did Raine discover? How are we going to make you better?"

Dawn sat there for a second, her eyes narrowing. "Is that what I am to you?" she exploded. "Just another task, another problem to fix? I'm nothing more than an inconvenience, right?"

"That's not what I meant," replied Lloyd calmly, with the patience born by troubles, the kind age never gave him. That was one thing he had certainly improved upon during his quest to destroy all exspheres. That was one endeavor that required patience, instead of rash action, and something that Lloyd had struggled with for the first several months of his quest. "I just wanted to ask if you were any better, or if there was anything we could do to help you. If you don't want out aid, we won't force it upon you, and if you need any help from us, I swear, I'll do my best to give it to you."

Dawn looked at him for a moment, her anger fading into wonder. "Anything?" she asked hopefully, almost not daring for it to be true.

"Within the best of our abilities," promised Lloyd.

There was a moment of baited silence, as Dawn held her breath, as if waiting for the few moments before springing her request on Lloyd would somehow make him more favorable to it. She gulped, then blurted out, "I want to go with you."

"No," replied Lloyd firmly, turning his gaze away from Dawn and back to the crater.

"What?" complained Dawn, jumping to her feet. "But you just said I could have anything! You can't just rescind on your word like that!"

"Allow me to elucidate," enunciated Lloyd clearly, borrowing a word from Raine's vocabulary to sound more impressive. "I promised you any help that we could grant you. Allowing you to come on this journey would not help, but harm you. I seriously doubt that you could possibly comprehend how dangerous it would be for anyone, even the most skilled warrior in the world, to join up with us without full knowledge of the situation. And, even if you had the skill to defend yourself…"

"I can fight!" interrupted Dawn indignantly.

"Even if you did have sufficient skill to defend yourself, you still would know nothing of preexisting battle tactics worked out between me and the rest of my group, and for the first few weeks, while you learned, you would be a deadly liability."

Dawn stared at Lloyd, mouth partially open in an expression of revulsion. "I thought you, of all people would understand. If the stories are right, you let Sheena join up nice and easy, right when she asked. What does she have that I don't?"

"Years of Mizuho combat training!" retorted Lloyd irritably.

"I can fight!" repeated Dawn. "I happen to be the best knife fighter in…"

"In where?" asked Lloyd, argumentatively. "In little tiny, middle of Nowhere Land? You have nothing comparable to Sheena's skills when she joined. She was a highly talented assassain…"

"Who had already tried to kill you multiple times! At least you know I'm on your side!"

"That's not relevant," replied Lloyd. "Your loyalty is not in question, only your ability to…"

"Defend myself?" scoffed Dawn. "That didn't matter when you let Presea join, or Zelos. You had never seen them fight before…"

"I wasn't intending on them actually fighting…" muttered Lloyd lamely, with no real conviction, so Dawn barreled over his remark.

"…but no questions asked, they got to run around and enjoy themselves with the rest of you. What's different about me, Lloyd? What changed?"

"I've matured," spoke Lloyd coldly and forcefully.

There was a long silence that Lloyd intended to contain finality, as if this was truly the last word, but, of course, Dawn would not be so easily dissuaded. She, however, tactfully waited a few moments, so as not to sound argumentative. The silence rang between them for a few moments.

"Lloyd…" she whispered, her throat seeming constricted. Lloyd turned to look at her and realized her eyes were glistening. A wave of remorse swept over him, but he could not simply let her come along just because some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. "Lloyd…you know how it feels to be left behind…to be told you'd only get in the way…please, Lloyd…I have nothing here…please."

"Nothing?" asked Lloyd. "No parents?"

"Their dead…both of them…" she replied.

"I'm sorry," Lloyd replied, but this was not the perfunctory response uttered when death was mentioned. Lloyd could genuinely feel empathy to her situation, even worse than that of his own childhood. He had, at least, an adopted father. "No…profession?" he continued, feeling like he was prying when he should be comforting. "I don't want to deprive the townsfolk of a person they need."

Dawn sniffed. "I was a healer…until the new preacher came. Preacher Yazen wants nothing more than blood and fire. He condemned me as a witch, and drove me out of town. He said that I was lucky they had even allowed the vile spawn of demons to live at all. Ever since, I've lived in a shelter in the forest. I still visit the village occasionally; I just have to avoid the preacher's acolytes. I haven't seen them since that Sun…fire…beam…" she struggled for a word, "…thing, but I doubt they'll be any friendlier."

Lloyd bit his lip and blinked. "You really have nothing…" he trailed off. There was another moment of silence, interrupted by the low cry of a bird in the distance, warbling to all nearby, unaware of the tragedy that had just taken place. "But Dawn…" Lloyd sighed, placing his hand on his face. "I try and try…but I just can't justify taking you with us. Even if you are an extremely proficient healer, we already have possibly the most skilled healer in both worlds traveling with us…"

"I can do offensive magic too!" interjected Dawn hopefully.

"…and a world class mage as well. I don't think that the foes we'll be facing will have any moral scruples about destroying you completely, and if you can't be useful in a fight…"

"That…that's not all I can do…" interrupted Dawn, stuttering once more, though this time, it sounded different. This time, it sounded like she was stuttering, not because she didn't know what to say, this time, she sounded like she was revealing something hidden about herself, so Lloyd paused.

"While I was in the forest, I needed to learn how to defend myself, and not by magic alone, I simply didn't have time to weave a spell if I was being attacked. I therefore decided to defend myself with the only two weapons I had at the time…which happened to be twin kitchen knives." She laughed nervously. "Of course, those were no adequate weapons, so by the time I was proficient at fighting with them, they were both so blunt that I couldn't even use them for their intended purpose in the kitchen. Fortunately, I still had one friend left in the village…a girl who I befriended after I healed both of her parents during the flu outbreak. She was only seven, but she managed to procure two steel daggers, and smuggled them to me in the forest."

"What happened to her?" asked Lloyd.

"When the preacher found out, he ran her and her family out of town like they did to me…but her parents managed to bring a little more money, and for all I know, they achieved their goal of buying transport off the island."

"I was under the impression that your village was the only settlement on the island."

"No," replied Dawn. "There's a tiny dock just south of this crater here. No one lives there, but occasionally, boats will stop by if the sea is going to become too dangerous."

"And did they do anything to you about it?" asked Lloyd, dreading the answer.

Dawn shrugged in apparent nonchalance. "They destroyed the hovel I had managed to build for myself in the years I had been exiled, but I managed to get away."

Lloyd was going to speak, but decided against it. She had obviously lived a fairly difficult life, and Lloyd could hardly think of leaving her here, but still, he had to know if she could fight.

"Well, let's see if her sacrifice was worth it. Take out your knives and show me how you would fight." Lloyd got to his feet, drawing both of his swords, and plunging them into the ground and leaning on them.

"A…attack you?" asked Dawn. This was obviously an unanticipated development. "I wasn't really planning on…demonstrating."

"Dawn, I can hardly believe you unless you actually show me of what you're capable."

She stood too, and looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. "Well…okay…but I'd rather demonstrate on something inanimate first, at least, to show you what my plan is…" she inhaled to steady herself. "I'm not only planning on using my daggers."

Lloyd shrugged. "Alright, but fighting an object and fighting a person are two very different things, you realize."

"Of course," replied Dawn, seeming immensely relieved. "I'll be more than willing to demonstrate my proficiency in reacting to an actual opponent later…I just don't think that severely injuring you would do anything to help either of our causes."

"You seem pretty confident," laughed Lloyd.

"Not really," replied Dawn, humbly. "Just realistic. You haven't seen what I can do yet." Cracking her neck she glanced around the area. "How about that stump, right there?" Lloyd searched for it, but quickly ascertained which one she was indicating. It wasn't really a stump, six or seven feet high, but it was indeed the remains of a tree, as the entire thing had been charred black by the explosion. There were no leaves left, and it was certainly already dead, so Lloyd indicated his approval with a nod of the head.

Upon receiving his go-ahead, Dawn reached into her robe and withdrew two fine silver daggers, though they were not what Lloyd expected. They were less than an eighth of an inch thick, just over a foot long, and wickedly sharp. They looked more like assassin's tools than those of someone planning to be in real close combat situations. Lloyd hoped Dawn wasn't planning on blocking any blows with them. He doubted they could even survive one hit from either of his swords, let alone something like Presea's axe. Additionally, Lloyd noticed the strange way Dawn gripped them. At first, he though she simply was withdrawing them from her cloak, and was not intending on fighting the way she held them, but Lloyd realized he was wrong. Dawn held one dagger in her left hand, the blade facing up, the way Lloyd expected anyone to fight. However, the dagger in her right hand was upside-down. Lloyd glanced down at his own hand and flexed it around, imagining holding Flamberge upside down. He could do it, he supposed, with enough practice, but he wondered why Dawn had the idea in the first place.

Before he could study her form too much, however, Dawn broke into a run at the stump, her feet seeming to flit across the ground without touching it. She was almost as graceful as Sheena. She reached the stump quickly, and Lloyd expected her to plunge a dagger in, but she surprised him. Instead, she flipped to the side, as if the stump were a real foe, trying to kill her with an actual weapon. Her white cloak was made of some heavy fabric that remained behind her, slowing her down. For a moment, Lloyd wondered why she didn't fight in some thing lighter, more form fitting, but as she rolled along the ground, Lloyd quickly realized why she had chosen her garb as she had.

Dawn was a very, very slight girl, Lloyd guessed she could hardly weigh more than one hundred pounds, but the cloak was big on her. She seemed to be used to fighting like this however, as she dealt with it very well, never tripping at all. Lloyd, on the other hand, who had never seen her fight, could barely tell where she was, her cloak bigger than her actual body. If he had been the stump, and he had been trying to kill her, he would probably have struck at the fluttering coat, instead of the girl herself. She was like an expert matador, distracting her foe from their target with nothing more than cloth.

Then Dawn struck. Fainting back, she suddenly planted a foot and lunged, turning her body to the side and slashing up with one dagger, using enormous momentum, momentum that then carried her back and around, so that she was standing once more facing the stump. She danced away lightly.

And yet she had done nearly no damage to the stump. Lloyd was confused. She could have easily gone much deeper with the knife, but she hadn't on a real foe, no matter what kind of armor they were wearing, her blow would leave little more than a flesh wound, annoying perhaps, but nothing to be concerned with. She would have to do better if she intended to kill an enemy.

Once more, she rolled forward, and as she stood up, slashed, with both knives this time, leaving two upward slanting diagonal marks on top of the straight up and down wound she had given the stump earlier, though, same as before, these slashes were no where near as deep as they needed to be. One downward mark, and two upward slanting diagonal marks, the dwarven rune Furmi, Lloyd realized with a smile, the word for target. Lloyd smiled at the coincidence as Dawn flipped backwards, planted her feet, and exploded in a supernova of light and heat.

Lloyd barely managed to avert his gaze, but still scorching, blinding whiteness engulfed him for a few moments, as a wicked heat wave obliterated all moisture in his skin. "Dawn!" Lloyd cried, his eyes searching for her form and attempting to recover at the same time. He felt as if his eyes had been scoured by a metal sponge, and the light was so bright that it had etched in what he was seeing at the moment of the flash into his vision, blurring everything. His ears were still ringing from the noise of it, rendering him almost completely senseless. Nonetheless, he stumbled forward, attempting to locate Dawn, and immediately fell flat on his face. His vision was so damaged that he could not even tell when the ground was about to hit him in the face, and he threw up his arms too late. They did not prevent him from smashing his face into the hard mineral soil with an unpleasant crunch. Lloyd had enough experience to know that his nose had not broken, but it was a close thing.

"Dawn!" he repeated, scanning the ground. "Where are you?" But before he could fret more, a slender hand was placed in his large one, and he was hauled to his feet. Lloyd could tell there was a person in front of him, but it took a few blinks for his eyes to clear enough for him to realize, that it was Dawn Raiyed, standing completely unharmed in front of his disbelieving eyes. Of course, with the injury they had just received, his eyes had every right to believe this was an illusion, but Dawn spoke, putting to rest that doubt.

"See?" she asked, her voice expressing weariness that her young face could not. "I told you that it would be preferable to have me test this out on something other than a human first." Lloyd leaned to the right and gazed over her shoulder. It took him a moment to readjust his vision to objects in the distance, but once he did, his vision was unobscured, other than a small, smoking scorch mark where the burnt tree had been.

"But…what…" It was not that Lloyd didn't know what to say in this situation, it was that there was simply nothing to be said, after such a sound trouncing.

"It was Raine's idea, originally," supplied Dawn, responding to an unasked question. "To use the magical dwarven runes, that is. They act like magical catalysts, helping draw my mana to the right target, which is why the stump was obliterated, and you were largely unharmed."

"So then you can aim your…your…" Lloyd paused for another moment, then exclaimed, "What the heck is that stuff anyway?"

Dawn sighed. "According to Raine, it is pure mana, not formed into any spell at all, primal and untamed, which is part of the reason I need help controlling it."

"And you just have…unlimited mana you can whip out whenever you need it?" asked Lloyd incredulously.

"Not…exactly. It's complicated," replied Dawn hesitantly, but Lloyd motioned for her to continue. "Well, as Raine explained it, and trust me, I don't understand this any better than you do…The Sunfire beam imbued me with a powerful, innate bundle of mana, inaccessible to my own will, impossible to use or expel in any way. However, due to the Law of Mana Gravitation, this large amount of mana contained within me attracts similar mana in the air, drawing it to my body, though it never actually joins the large amount, giving me a well of power I can tap at any time. That's what I use when I cast my spell…or more accurately, release my mana."

Lloyd struggled mentally for a moment. "And…what does that mean?"

Dawn smiled, and Lloyd noticed that it was a slightly lopsided smile, the right side of her mouth rising higher than the left. "Basically, whenever I get in the sun…I build up mana reserves until I choose to let them out." She bit her lip, "…or can't hold them any longer," she added in an undertone, hoping Lloyd would ignore that bit.

"What?" asked Lloyd. "You can build up too much for you to hold?"

"Well, yes," replied Dawn quickly, seeming determined to quash this problem quickly, "but that's only if I'm in the sun for a really long time, and haven't used my power recently."

"And if that happens?"

"Then I just slip off and find a tree," she indicated behind her at the still smoking scorch on the ground, "Or a rock, or whatever else I can destroy, without permanently damaging anything."

There was another moment of silence, and Lloyd knew she was gearing herself up to repeat her earlier question. Lloyd waited patiently for her to gain the courage, and suddenly, she burst. "So how about it Lloyd? Can I come with you? I don't have anything left here, I can defend myself well, I…"

"Dawn," interrupted Lloyd, smiling, "This isn't a five-paragraph essay. Just…just give me a minute to think." Lloyd closed his eyes and wrinkled his forehead, but nothing came to him. After a moment, he realized that he wasn't thinking at all, just waiting, though for what, he didn't know. Finally, he sighed, and stated, "Go back, talk to the others, I'll leave it up to a vote." Lloyd already knew the opinions of one or two other group members, and could guess the rest, but he decided to let them vote anyway.

A cheeky grin slowly spread across Dawn's fine features, and suddenly, without warning, she grabbed Lloyd by the shoulders, and planted a quick peck on both of his cheeks. Lloyd could do little more than widen his eyes and blush before Dawn was already behind him, sprinting away back towards the hovel-hospital where Lloyd and his companions were staying, shouting her wild thanks back at him.

***

Later that night, Lloyd returned to an overwhelming vote of four 'yes'es, and zero no's and, despite having abstained to vote, Regal had offered a strong recommendation for Dawn to accompany them. It was a small cause to celebrate in the grim circumstances that the rest of Lloyd's party seized fully.

As Dawn was socializing with rest of her soon-to-be travelmates, Lloyd however was, quite unlike himself, brooding in a corner. Raine approached him purposefully, and drew up a chair.

"You know Lloyd, despite all the good reasons to take her with us…There's one more you ought to know of."

"I've been thinking myself," replied Lloyd. "And I may have come to it."

Raine glanced at the rest of the group, Dawn laughing happily at one of Genis' jokes, while Sheena simply rolled her eyes. "The Tethe'allan Superiority Group's original goal was to infuse an object with the extreme, impossibly potent power of the sun…and while I don't mean to call her an object…they've succeeded.


	16. Chapter 16

They woke early, and left before Dawn could bring attention to them, referring to both the sunrise and the girl. Though from what Lloyd heard, she didn't seem to have many sentimental connections in the village, and would probably be free of weepy goodbyes, he would prefer not to take chances. Lloyd shepherded her onto Colette's old Rheaird before she had time to fully come to her awakening senses, such that they could be off with as few distractions as possible.

The night before, after only a little thought, the party had determined that, of the three things that Jasper had hinted at in his note, Flakeon Gorge, Anthus in the Drenhous Affair, and the Torosian Acquisition, the Flakeon Gorge was the most pressing. Lloyd was embarrassingly unfamiliar with recent history, but Regal informed him that the Drenhous Affair was a political scandal some years back, in which a few nobility had been arrested for taking bribes in order to ignore a plot to assassinate the king. Regal seemed to remember Anthus being one of the convicted, and then executed nobles, but he wasn't entirely certain. The organization behind the plot had never been discovered, though it had been assumed that it dissolved once the nobles had been eliminated.

The Torosian Acquisition was a bit more obscure, and Regal was the only one who had ever heard of it, though all he could remember was that it had been an attempt to buy almost a quarter of a continent from various owners, but it had never made it past the most preliminary stages.

Flakeon Gorge was even more obscure, and no one in the group knew where it was off the top of their heads. However, once they pulled out the map, they discovered that it was a minor gorge near a larger pass in the mountains near the Toize Valley Mine. This was slightly alarming to Lloyd at first, but he soon remembered the endless days he and Sheena had spent, the countless magical probes, days of digging spent just to make sure that every last Exsphere had been found and eliminated. He was absolutely confident that there were no exspheres left there. Sheena had even called on Origin just to complete the magical scan.

Nonetheless, the group had very little to go off of, and Lloyd personally felt that he would be much more useful venturing off into the unexplored wilderness than sitting investigating a scandal, or pulling out a dictionary to define every other legal term in documents relating to the Torosian Acquisition, so he was more than glad to go.

Of course, part of his eagerness was simply to see the island off, to dismiss the blatant evidence of his failure. Even days later there was crying in the destroyed streets, and Lloyd couldn't step outside with out being mocked, or glared at. Very little of the tragedy had been his fault but he couldn't convince the townspeople of that, and he could barely convince himself. Dawn seemed very understanding, but she was simply a kind person by nature. Lloyd found it hard to resist feeling comforted when talking to her.

Still, he was glad to see the last of that island, the final reminder a huge black scar on the south end, fading rapidly from their view. Lloyd was sure Colette was crying softly, so he turned to his right to comfort her, and nearly fell off his Rheaird when he realized that the slim girl riding the yellow Rheaird was not Colette, but Dawn. Lloyd shook his head and reinforced in his mind that Colette was not here, and Dawn was borrowing her Rheaird. He would have to get used to that, he told himself. The same thing happened twice more during that flight alone.

Partially because they were flying east, towards the sun, and traveling quickly through time zones, it was already dark by the time they landed, which meant that they couldn't start exploring, but they were all still full of energy. Sheena had been the first one to spot the gorge in the fading sunlight, an impressive feat, considering the ubiquitous tree cover. Lloyd indicated a small grove just below the base of the mountain as where they should land. The trees were so dense that even entering the grove, the Rheairds had to slip through the branches one at a time. Nevertheless, once all of them were there, it was a surprisingly good campground. The dense trees assured that nothing big enough to threaten them could get in during the night, or at least, not stealthily, and the abundance of trees meant an abundance of firewood. Lloyd had almost enough sticks to start a fire before even having to venture out into the woods, and once he did that, there was easily enough for several weeks worth of fires.

The grove itself was created because of a large slab of rock with only a thin layer of dirt on top, so that no tree could grow there, not even just enough to crack the rock. This meant that the group had a hard, but extremely flat sleeping surface, which Lloyd easily appreciated more than a bumpy bed, even if it was made of down feathers. Within a few minutes, Genis had a fire going, and, despite their surplus of ingredients, had decided to make one of their last ditch effort meals, surprise stew. When asked about it, he simply responded that he never had the ingredients that he really wanted when he was forced to make something like this, so he might as well try now. The aroma was intoxicating.

Lloyd's body kept telling him that he should be tired, his back against a tree that seemed to have grown just so that Lloyd could fit there perfectly, a warm fire heating the area just enough to be comfortable without a blanket or anything else, an olfactory concert drifting from Genis' cooking, but his mind was fairly alert, though in a lazy way. Sheena and Raine were remembering past times when Genis had been forced to prepare a stew, in hopes that maybe something tasty could be salvaged from their remaining ingredients, or times that Raine had destroyed perfectly good foodstuff in her creations. Genis looked up occasionally from the pot to insert some witticism or other, his face slightly sweaty from the proximity to the fire, and the delicious steam wafting from the pot.

Dawn was standing awkwardly at the edge of their group, unable to contribute anything to the conversation, as she had not been present at any of the earlier situations, and couldn't reminisce about them. Lloyd felt a twinge of guilt, but Dawn knew that she wasn't going to enjoy this conversation, and moved away to seek another, walking towards Presea, who was unpacking her sleeping roll.

"Hey Presea," greeted Dawn. Presea turned and smiled.

"Hello, Dawn," she replied calmly. "How was your first day with the party?" Lloyd was glad that Presea had gotten back in touch with her emotions over the last six years, or else Dawn might once again get into an uncomfortable and meaningless conversation.

"It was okay. We didn't really do much today. Lloyd kept looking at me weird during the flight."

Presea chuckled, though it was more of a happy exhalation than a true chuckle. "Yes, I noticed that as well. Don't take it personally; I just don't think he's used to seeing anyone but Colette on Colette's Rheaird." She sighed at the fire. "It will take a while for us all to adapt to all the changes."

"I know what you mean," replied Dawn seriously. "I still can't get used to the fact that these people, you, Lloyd, all of you…are really the same people who defeated Mithos, toppled the Tower of Salvation, dissolved the Desians, who traveled into the demon realm and forever extirpated their menace!" She listed off these feats in increasing grandeur, her voice deepening each time. Presea merely looked confused.

"I'm preeetty sure we didn't do that last one."

"Oh," Dawn shrugged. "Well you get my point." She moved her gaze around the fire, and Lloyd closed his eyes quickly, pretending to be sleeping. "But it hasn't sunk in, if you know what I mean." Presea nodded understandingly. "You're all exactly how I imagined you in some way…and totally opposite in others."

"How so?" asked Presea.

"Well…" Dawn laughed nervously. "You…for example. Based on the stories, I kind of expected you to be a cold, soulless killing machine, more like a robot than a human…but of course, that's not what you're like at all," she added hastily. Presea laughed warmly.

"No, no, I suppose not."

"Or, Genis," continued Dawn, now seeming to determine that Presea was worth opening up to, a trustworthy secret keeper. "Even though I know that he aged…I kind of expected him to still be…twelve or so. It's weird to think that he's actually a little older than me, and…" Dawn glanced around to ascertain if anyone was looking. Lloyd suddenly became aware that he was eavesdropping, but with such good hearing, he could hardly avoid it, and it was too late for him to stop now. "…he's actually pretty cute," laughed Dawn, looking over her shoulder. Genis was wiping his brow and removing the pot from the fire using two thick cloths over his hands. They weren't covered completely, however, and his index finger grazed the hot pot. He nearly dropped the soup, but he managed to set it down, and swiftly drew his finger up to his mouth to suck on it. He suddenly became aware that he was being watched, and gazed up to meet Dawn and Presea's eyes in bewilderment. Both of them swiftly looked away. Dawn giggled. "Isn't he though?"

"I…suppose I never really thought about it like that…" Presea spoke slowly, with confusion. A look of understanding and some horror began to grow on Dawn's face, and she swiftly blurted.

"If you're…If you're interested in him or something, I'll totally back off,"

Presea looked puzzled, but quickly realized what Dawn was saying and replied, embarrassed, "No, no, not at all, I mean, if you want to…"

"It was just an idle…um…an idle…an idle statement…"

"I understand, and I don't mind…"

"I wasn't saying anything,"

"…why would I after all?"

"I didn't mean to imply…" But Dawn trailed off.

Lloyd's stomach wriggled at the awkwardness. Fortunately, Dawn was not the kind of person to let a silence last, and began to laugh slowly. Presea soon joined her. "Boy…that was bad," chuckled Dawn. "Did not mean to…yeah…Didn't want to make an enemy my first day here, or at least a rival."

"Don't worry, you haven't," replied Presea. "That was just a funny and very uncomfortable situation. It happens."

"Soup is ready!" piped up Genis. Dawn glanced at Presea.

"I'll be there in a minute," she responded to Dawn's inquiring gaze. "I never finished unpacking my sleeping mat." Dawn nodded and bouncily walked, almost skipped over to get some food. She was a very bright and happy person, and Lloyd felt that, though different in many regards, she might have the same effect as Colette on the party as a whole, and for that he was glad. Without Zelos and Colette, Lloyd had been worried that despair might creep into the party, but that fear was now somewhat alleviated.

Lloyd pushed himself to his feet, and looked over at Presea. She was unpacking her sleeping pad very slowly, as she was distracted, staring over at Genis, who was now ladling out some of his delicious concoction to bowls sitting near the fire. She appeared to be in deep thought, but soon realized that she was being watched. Her eyes darted up to meet Lloyd's, and for a second, a spark of understanding passed between them, and she quickly gazed away into the forest, blushing slightly. Lloyd raised his eyebrows in amusement and turned to get some soup.

Dawn was remarkably good at reading people, Lloyd pondered to himself. She had guessed a possible relationship after maybe only one sentence that Presea had said about Genis. Perhaps she was simply jumpy, and afraid to interfere in any already standing interests, but she seemed to have seen more a passing fancy between Genis and Presea. She might be apt at identifying suppressed or hidden emotions that other people couldn't, or wouldn't see. For a moment, Lloyd felt a sudden wave of anxiety, and resolved to be careful what he said around her, but just as soon as the feeling came, it had vanished, leaving him wondering why he had had that instinct.

The soup was delicious as it smelled, and even though it was not very cold, especially with the fire, the warmth of the soup was as comforting as if they had been trekking through the wastes of Flanoir for the day. This warmth was mirrored by the genial conversation of dinner, this time something that Dawn could join in on. They started the dialogue on a more somber note, wondering what the Tethe'allan Superiority Group could be up to, but it was such a good night that it was impossible to let such a sobering thought dampen their spirits, and the theories became crazier and crazier, more and more amusing, until Genis had fabricated an interdimensional plot to make sure everyone had as bad of hair as their leader, Jasper. Jasper was a fairly easy figure to mock, even though most of the group had yet to meet him, Lloyd was still glad that they weren't too worried.

And, of course, as the cycle goes, the giddiness brought by the late night was soon followed by exhaustion, and one by one, the rest of the group dropped off to sleep. Genis, forever the little boy, suggested writing something in ashes on Raine's face while she slept, though decided not to in the end. Raine, forever the older sister, opened one eye after Genis too, had fallen asleep, picked up a twig, dipped it in the ashes of the fire, and inscribed a message on Genis' forehead in fine calligraphy. Lloyd couldn't read it from the opposite side of the fire, but he was sure that it would still be there for him to read in the morning, and he was too tired to move to the other end of the firepit.

Finally, only he and Dawn were left awake. Lloyd sighed and prodded the fire. "Well, one of us has got to take watch," he stated.

"I'll go first," volunteered Dawn. "You look tired."

Lloyd nodded sleepily. "Okay," he yawned. "Just stay up as long as you think you can without risking falling asleep, and then choose somebody to replace you. Don't let the fire go completely out, and don't let any of us get eaten, okay?"

Dawn laughed and nodded, and Lloyd crawled into his sleeping mat for the night.

* * *

Lloyd awoke some undetermined amount of time later in the night. He wasn't sure what had alerted him to the change, but as he looked to the fire, Dawn was no longer sitting opposite him. Instead a figure was directly between him and the fire, and with the flickering, dim light, it took him a moment to identify her. Presea had replaced Dawn, but Lloyd was so used to Presea being only four and a half feet tall that it took him a moment to recognize her.

Lloyd sat up and Presea turned to look at him. "Where's Dawn?" he yawned sleepily.

Presea gazed up at the sky. "Not for another long time." Lloyd looked at her in confusion, and had to think for few moments before he figured out how she had misunderstood him.

"No, no, I said where, not when."

"Oh," replied Presea. She jerked her head to the left, into the forest. "She went off a little ways into the woods to relieve herself before going to sleep."

Lloyd glanced up into the night sky to determine the position of the moon. "She didn't last very long on her first watch."

Presea nodded her agreement. "True. But it is her first time. She'll get better, and I don't mind. Being on the watch gives me time to think."

"I wasn't condemning her," replied Lloyd, lying back down. "I didn't really expect her to be able to stay awake long on her first day, and..." but before he could finish his thought, his senses suffered a sudden, three-pronged attack.

First was the flash of light, pure whiteness, brighter than looking directly at the sun, so intense he could feel his cornea shrivel in the heat, before he quickly and wisely closed his eyes, and buried his head in his sleeping pad, like a frightened child. It was hardly any better. Everything was still pure white.

The second followed soon after, and was a high pitched, soul-wrenching scream that brought up memory upon memory of torment, both physical and emotional. Half of him wanted to assist whoever was in such pain, and the other half just wanted to get as far away as he could possibly run.

The third was the wave of heat, and even through his blanket, he could feel the fabric burning. Thinking quickly, Lloyd erected a guardian shield to defend his body, and suddenly, the light dimmed, the scream was muffled, and the heat reduced to something more relatable to a sauna than the inside of the sun. And, with all the surprise of its arrival, the sensations vanished in the order of their arrival.

Lloyd staggered to his feet, still blinded by the aftershock of the light, though his vision was quickly improving. Now instead of all white, all he could see was black, with a couple other hazy spots moving around beneath him. He quickly realized however, that this was not a fault of his sight. The entire forest around him had been charred black, and the hazy grey spots were simply the rest of the party sitting up in confusion. Lloyd rubbed his eyes. By the looks of things, they had escaped mostly unscathed, though Genis did now seem to have a black streak in his hair, whether from blowing ash or scorched hair, Lloyd did not know. They all seemed to have managed to erect magical shields before being consumed by the heat.

"What on earth was that?" asked Genis, quickly retrieving his ball-and-chain weapon from his backpack.

"I would think that would be fairly obvious," stated Raine, unfazed, almost casually, pointing into the forest where, at the epicenter of the black blast that had transformed the dense, but lush forest into a charred, blackened wasteland, where lay Dawn's motionless form.

* * *

No one slept for the rest of the night for a few reasons. One was simply their worry for Dawn's well-being. She was sleeping feverishly, tormented by dreams that they could only guess at, though she rolled and moaned occasionally. Another was the painful burns several of them had received. They had been treated and would recede soon, but they wouldn't vanish entirely for at least a day, and lying on a burn was not a pleasant experience. A third, and perhaps most unfortunate factor was that Dawn's huge expulsion of light and mana had attracted all sorts of unsavory creatures of the night that normally wouldn't have bothered the sleeping group. Fortuitously, they were more attracted to the actual center of the mana outburst, which was the crater, a good hundred feet from camp, but a gathering of too many dark creatures always led to mischief, especially in a magical nexus like the one Dawn had inadvertently created. Genis, Presea, Lloyd, and Sheena worked in trios sheparding the mischievous creatures back into the forest, switching out like tag team wrestling if anyone got too tired. Raine stayed with Dawn, attempting to heal her, wake her, and if she couldn't do that at least try to ascertain what exactly was causing the fever. While magic and science were sometimes two very different branches, Raine was always interested in combining them.

The only bright side about the whole affair was that Lloyd got to see the revised fighting styles of the group members, after their long time apart. Sheena he had practiced fighting with, or actually fought with during the six years since the regeneration journey, so whatever changes she had undergone had occurred so subtly that he hadn't noticed. Genis and Presea, on the other hand, were like two entirely new warriors.

Presea was much more defensive than she had been before. Whenever a Spriggan would leap out of the forest at her, instead of simply raising her axe and slicing, as per her old method, which would probably be effective, but was slow, and set her off balance, she instead would parry with either the butt or the blade of the axe then swing for a death kill, or sidestep, and have her foe off-balance for a change, so that she could swing with all her strength. Lloyd was fairly sure that he liked this style better, because he didn't have to worry about her quite as much. While Presea had always been more than able to take care of herself, sometimes, if she missed with her first swing, she had no chance of recovering, and Lloyd would find that he had to distract her target in order for her to be able to regain her composure. Lloyd was usually fighting his own foe when this happened, and while he had two swords, he did not have two separate minds controlling each blade, and usually found himself unable to deal with the intricacies of two battles at once.

Genis, on the other hand, had revamped his style entirely. Once he began to swing the huge metal ball above his head, even Lloyd was reluctant to come too close, especially when Genis was casting a spell, and too distracted to notice whether he was hitting friend or enemy. After only half a minute or so, Genis' arm muscles began to bulge under the pressure of keeping the ball's momentum constantly swinging in a circle, and Lloyd saw for the first time that, in terms of muscularity, Genis was almost comically lopsided. Lloyd reminded himself to later admonish Genis to practice fighting with both arms. Still, he was impressed with Genis' endurance. He must have practiced quite a bit to be able to sustain such exertion over such a period of time. His spells had improved as well, and, to Lloyd's great relief, not only in their magnitude, but also in their finesse. The forest had sustained enough damage that night, and Lloyd was glad that Genis opted to simply cause the ground to erupt a spurt of hot gas and incinerate a foe, rather than rend the earth in twain and vomit hot gorges of molten rocks, swallowing everything in their paths. There was a time for grandeur, but Lloyd was relieved Genis knew that this was not it. As for his actual fighting with the weapon, Lloyd pitied any wrongdoer Genis encountered.

At one point, a forest imp hiding in the shadow of a tree had moved a little too close to Genis for comfort, and then began to cast some dark spell Lloyd had no desire to experience. Sheena was making her way over to deal with it, but Genis had just finished a spell, and noticed the imp. With a single, huge lunge-step, combined with his hand letting a little of the chain's slack to slip forward, Genis' chain broadsided the imp in the middle of his spell, nearly severing the creature's thin, wicked torso, then wrapped around the tree, snapping it in half. As if that hadn't been enough, the huge metal weight itself had whipped around the tree exactly at the demon's head level. The two spheres collided at high velocity, and the one made of dense iron won. The demon exploded in a dark cloud of hate and black magic.

Sheena stopped her charge, shuddered at the demon's fate, then whipped out a card that sent out a small jet of flame that scared off a few cackling harpy hags that were eyeing Lloyd a bit too closely. Lloyd did not stay in battle long after that. A gorgon sorceress hiding in the shadows cast a spell that brought the roots under Lloyd's feet to life. The roots had remained healthy and undamaged from Dawn's blast, as the ground had protected them, and now they were full of more vigor than Lloyd had seen possessed in any plant. He barely managed to keep their raking branches away long enough for Sheena to Demon Seal the gorgon, and break the spell. The roots froze in place, and after a minute or two of hacking at them, Lloyd left the encounter with nothing more than a pair of stylish wood bracelets that had been too close to his skin for Lloyd to remove with his swords, and a pair of scraggly gashes down his left leg. Presea had taken a decently long break, and upon seeing his injury, had volunteered to replace him, which Lloyd accepted gladly.

He limped back to the main camp clearing, where Raine was hovering her hand over Dawn's forehead. Lloyd half-sat, half-collapsed onto his still unraveled sleeping pad, and withdrew some bandages from his pack. He could have used an apple gel, but he didn't know how long the gels were going to have to last. "Are you hurt?" asked Raine, pulling her hand away from Dawn's forehead. "I can heal you."

"Save it for the people who need it more," replied Lloyd, meaning Dawn in his head, though Raine somehow did not seem to understand that implication.

"Is anyone else hurt?" asked Raine, suddenly concerned. She glanced around a couple charred tree trunks to look into the clearing.

"No…no, I meant Dawn," clarified Lloyd.

"Oh," responded Raine. "I've given up on her."

"What?" Lloyd exploded, leaping to his feet, and quickly regretting it as spasms of pain traveled up his injured legs. "You can't let her die!"

"Not on her life!" explained Raine hurriedly, evidently slightly taken aback. "Just on using magic to try to heal her."

"Oh…" Lloyd trailed off, feeling awkward about his outburst. "Sorry. But why? What's wrong with using magic?"

Raine sighed. "I don't know. It only seems to tire me out, and add to the problem. After every spell I try, her fever flares, and she just gets paler. She technically should have been killed by this fever seconds after she got it, the heat would have denatured, or, cooked, I suppose is a more common word, her internal organs."

Lloyd pondered that for a moment. "So…then why isn't she dead? Not to sound morbid or anything," he added quickly.

"Well…" Raine replied, "I have a theory, but without any subjects to apply it too other than Dawn, it could be nothing more than a fool's fantasy." Lloyd nodded to continue. "My hypothesis is that…when she was struck by that bolt of sun mana, a large amount remained in her body, which only builds and gathers mana from the air, though I think you already knew that much." Lloyd nodded once more. "Of that, I am fairly certain, the rest is simply guessing. One explanation to why she isn't dead, is that, when she is unconscious like this, the mana from the sun runs rampant in her body, giving her this high fever that actually does destroy her organs but…" Raine paused, reasoning to herself in her head, "…but also, perhaps, as the sun's mana is probably most closely related to light mana, healing her at the same time."

There was a moment's silence. "If your theory is right…" stated Lloyd deliberately, "There is a way to test it."

"What?" asked Raine, confused. She evidently did not believe that Lloyd could think of a better experiment to prove her hypothesis, but Lloyd grimaced, and moved his hand to his belt, where he had always kept a small hunting knife, only about four inches long, including the handle. He brought the blade up in front of his face. The firelight flickered eerily off the dull metal surface, dancing like a poltergeist.

"Lloyd, I don't know if…" started Raine, immediately skeptical.

"I'll just give her a tiny nick, and if that's all that is keeping her from…permanent injury, or death, I don't think we have much of a chance of saving her anyway," justified Lloyd.

Raine inhaled shakily, but did not speak again. Lloyd slowly brought the blade down to Dawn's arm, and quickly dragged it about an inch along her shoulder, but there was no mark. The blade was duller than he remembered. Lloyd applied slightly more force, and plowed the blade across Dawn's shoulder once more, but again to no avail. Frustrated, he placed the point of the blade on her shoulder, and pushed in, until, suddenly, like a diver, the blade plunged at least an inch into her flesh. Lloyd gasped and let go of the blade.

"Lloyd!" exclaimed Raine, alarmed.

"S…sorry!" he stuttered, grabbing the blade, and forgetting what he learned about what to do when an important artery could be pierced, then yanking it out her arm.

"Wait don't!" yelled Raine, but suddenly the panic stopped, and was replaced with wonder.

An inch of Lloyd's blade was adorned in dark crimson, shimmering eerily in the firelight, a bead forming on the end, and dripping onto its master's arm. The droplet wavered for a moment, then fell splashing down on Dawn's completely unharmed shoulder.

"Gods above…" mouthed Raine. They stared in silence for a good minute, neither of them being able to voice their wonder. The fire was dying, and the sounds of skirmish echoed into the glen, but Lloyd's mind had locked out all external sensation, focusing entirely on impossible blade, and entirely whole shoulder.

Raine broke the silence. "I…I knew that the mana within her was powerful, when unleashed but…but this powerful? Instantaneous, complete, unscarred healing, without even a conscious conduit of thought to direct it?" She trailed off, but Lloyd had just thought of something, and didn't let the silence fester.

"Raine," he said, suddenly worried. "If the mana in Dawn is this powerful, and she only got hit by a tiny splinter of the total beam…" Lloyd too, left his thought incomplete, but the message was obvious.

"Only a madman would dream of such insane power," stated Raine sagely.

There was a yelp of pain from the clearing Dawn had blasted clean, from what sounded like a male voice, therefore Genis. Raine sighed. "Perhaps you should go help them out." Lloyd nodded, and turned his back. "And Lloyd," added Raine, as an afterthought, though it was the kind that was far more important than the original sentence, "Don't tell anyone about this. It would give them undue stress. Not even Dawn herself, when she wakes."

Lloyd, unable to articulate many more words, simply nodded once more, and turned to replace Genis.


End file.
